The passion. The fire. All the things you’ve come to expect from Tennessee coach Tony Vitello always seem ever-present whether the fan favorite coach is berating an official or changing a diaper in the concourse of Lindsey Nelson Stadium. There’s no debating it: Vitello has achieved heights as a Tennessee coach that no one would have thought possible other than the coaches that specialize on the sport played on Saturdays. 

Simply put, Vitello is becoming one of the most popular coaches in Tennessee sports’ history. Other than a football coach and former Lady Vol basketball coach Pat Summitt, who is more of a fan favorite than Vitello? By the time Vitello retires, he can truly be a beloved legend in Knoxville.

For those that are new Tennessee baseball fans, the Vols didn’t always have a young Ricardo Montaban in cleats roaming the dugout. The Vols used to have baseball managers with holes in their game that inevitably created craters of trouble when things got close, especially during the postseason. Now, the Vols are good looking and successful in the postseason. That’s a welcome change.

Tennessee is now 2-0 in the College World Series after a 6-1 win over North Carolina on Sunday. Vitello was his usual colloquial self when asked what was different about the Vols this season compared to other teams that have made an early exit from the annual even in Omaha.

The Vols don’t just look like another team in Omaha. They look intent – and perhaps destined – to win it all. Power is a big part of the reason why. Tennessee is just the second team in NCAA Division I history to have four players with 20 or more home runs in the same season, joining Alabama, who did so in 1997. However, that’s not why Vitello is better suited to become even more of a household name this time around in Omaha? This time, there just seems to be more calm from Vitello, like he’s running the game instead of vice versa.

“When I’m out there, I’m on the field, there’s a certain feedback and body language and words that are said you get from the players,” Vitello said. “You look in the outfield and see what those guys are doing, the pitcher you’re taking the ball from and the guy coming out of the bullpen. And that’s just one example of how this team’s a little bit different.”

Different is good compared to what the Vols have done previously in the College World Series. The Vols are now an amazing 57-12 on the season. Previously, Tennessee had only finished fourth in the College World Series. This team seems intent on being better than that.

These Vols have a combination of “me” and “team” that is tough to beat. Sure, every baseball player in Omaha wants to do well for themselves, but the key is not to create an issue when it’s time to turn to a teammate. There was certainly no issue when starter Drew Beam was asked to turn the ball over to Kirby Connell in the sixth inning.

“Drew wants to be out there, but he was almost excited to give Kirby the ball and said some things to me and the other guys that just made you feel good,” Vitello said. “Made you feel like we’re in a good position to play our brand of baseball.

“That’s not always the case when you’re in a high-pressure situation, if you want to call it that or a spot where a lot of emotions could be running wild.”

Tennessee’s next game will be Wednesday at 2 p.m. against the winner of the North Carolina-Florida State game, which will be played on Tuesday at 1 p.m. Whoever the opponent, Vitello seems confident in his guys – or his team.

“This group seems to stick together,” Vitello said. “I feel we’re getting closer as the year goes on. They have an interesting level of maturity about them.

“I’m sure anti-Tennessee people will argue, but there’s a certain maturity there over the course of nine innings with all the things that can happen in a game.”

The “anti-Tennessee” notion is surely from the 2022 team, which didn’t rank high on the likability scale for most of the country. That team was talented enough to win a championship, but it’s engine ran a bit hot at times with celebrations, outbursts and the like. Maybe the distractions of that season made Vitello a better coach. In fact, it they almost certainly did.

“When you get here, it’s chaos,” Vitello said. “And just from at least my advantage point — I’m not experienced enough or wise enough to say why this or that — because look at the first three games. Out of the six teams that played, it could have been any six of them won their first game. It was madness and it will probably continue to be that.

“So I think you just want to be a little better than the other team on that given day and that can come in a variety of ways, as you all pointed out earlier.”

As unlikeable as the 2022 team may have been for some nationally, this team is the opposite. There is no superstar. There are only very good and great players. The kicker for the rest of the nation is that there just happens to be a lot of them. 

“It would be nice to have Michael Jordan and say you’ve got the best guy to take over,” Vitello joked. “Or Peyton Manning to lead the way.

“But this is a deal where you got nine guys and baseballs flying around and arms moving and things like that and energy in the dugout. There’s just a lot of things that happen in our sport, with all due respect to the others, what carries the heavy weight for us is the camaraderie.”

The Vols have that in tons. Thanks to Vitello.