It’s official: Tony Vitello is Tennessee’s best coach in modern-day Tennessee sports history. Except for one. We’ll get to her in just a second.
Vitello doesn’t need a championship to be incredibly likeable. He’s achieved that with plenty of wins, the willingness to do extra things to build a program and, well, the ladies seem to think he’s quite handsome. All of that has equaled a beloved coach that still has sky-high expectations. Most coaches aren’t nearly as beloved as Vitello until they actually win a title. Vitello is bucking the trend.
Success is, of course, the key. Vitello’s team is 2-0 and set to play Florida State on Wednesday in the College World Series. After the first weekend in Omaha, the Vols may well be a strong favorite to win it all.
News Sentinel columnist John Adams was the first to point Vitello’s standing among other coaches out in a recent column and, after playing a little devil’s advocate, I completely agree. As for the one coach who is unapproachable? That’s Pat Summitt. She’s a legend. There is no debate. She’s No. 1 in modern-day Tennessee sports history and it’s not close. Now, let’s talk Vitello.
Vitello has had to build a program from, basically, the ground up. Tennessee baseball was second to everything in the Vols’ athletic department, including football recruiting. Now, football recruiting (gasp) is second-page news. However, here’s the irony. Tennessee’s baseball success only helps the Vols’ recruit the top football prospects in the land. Vitello just can’t miss.
The obvious challenger to the made-up designation of top coach of the modern-era of college athletics has to be Phillip Fulmer. After all, he won a national championship, had a hall of fame career and is second all-time in Tennessee football history. He should be second, right? Well, we’ll see.
Vitello, who is on a fast track to a hall of fame career, has to win a championship to match Fulmer. That may happen in a matter of days. At that point, they would both have a championship. The difference? Fulmer took over a program built by a college football coaching legend: Johnny Majors. I’d have to check, but I think Vitello took over for Homer Simpson.
Vitello has also had to sell Tennessee baseball to fans who were prepared for an occasional run to Omaha, but were certainly not used to sustained success. Now, Vitello has made the College World Series three times. Lindsey Nelson is as packed as a condensed soup can and the Vols are the talk of the town at any restaurant, grocery store or watering hole in Knoxville.
Vitello also can’t help but stumble into great public relations. He did so on Tuesday when he was asked about sending playoff banners to a Northern Kentucky team manager after Vitello saw Ryan Mavriplis’ passion during the Knoxville Regional.
Other than Vitello, Summit and Fulmer, there aren’t a great group of challengers for the title of best coach in modern-day history. Football coach Josh Heupel figures to be a factor in the discussion soon, but to match what Vitello has done, Heupel has to make the College Football Playoff on a regular basis. That very well could happen, but let’s see it first. Until then, Vitello is the second-best coach in modern-day history at Tennessee and, currently, the best coach clad in orange.
