With confetti raining down at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha, Tennessee coach Tony Vitello raised the national championship trophy aloft. The Volunteers had won the 2024 College World Series, cementing their legacy as one of the best teams of all-time.
Tennessee won 60 games, more than any team in 22 years. It collected every trophy it could, winning both the Southeastern Conference and SEC Tournament on its way to Omaha greatness. It was the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament and became the first No. 1 overall seed to win the championship since Miami did it in 1999.
It was a complete team effort. The Volunteers led the nation in home runs, ranked 11th in scoring and sixth in ERA. They had All-Americans, Freshman AllAmericans, present first-round picks, future first-rounders and some gritty, veteran college players amid the stars.
At the heart of it all was Vitello, the program’s architect and the man responsible for bringing Tennessee from the cellar of the SEC to the pinnacle of college baseball.
Vitello did it in a truly modern way, embracing the transfer portal, the rule changes around name, image and likeness rights and the offensive surge in college baseball. But he also did it through traditional recruiting, hard work and a dedication to player development.
Vitello’s story—and Tennessee’s, because the two are intertwined—is uniquely of the moment, but also one that followed a blueprint familiar to any program building in college baseball over the years. Vitello took over in Knoxville in 2017 and built Tennessee into a powerhouse, reaching the greatest heights this June in Omaha.
For those reasons and more, Vitello is the 2024 Baseball America College Coach of the Year. He is the second coach in program history to win the award, joining Rod Delmonico in 1995.
Denne historien er fra August/September 2024-utgaven av Baseball America.
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Denne historien er fra August/September 2024-utgaven av Baseball America.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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INDEPENDENT/PARTNER LEAGUES PLAYER OF THE YEAR ADAM FOGEL, MISSOULA PADDLEHEADS
Adam Fogel sets the Pioneer League home run record in a season to remember
MINOR LEAGUE EXECUTIVE OF THE YEAR MIKE ABRAMSON, HARTFORD YARD GOATS
Hartford GM Mike Abramson’s tireless dedication has made the Yard Goats one of the best tickets in the minor leagues
FREITAS AWARD: CLASS A COLUMBIA FIREFLIES
The Columbia Fireflies light the way for a community redevelopment project that benefits an entire city
FREITAS AWARD: DOUBLE-A SOMERSET PATRIOTS
From indy ball to affiliated, Somerset continues its tradition of excellence in fruitful partnership with the Yankees
FREITAS AWARD: TRIPLE-A SACRAMENTO RIVER CATS
Key initiatives and facility upgrades make Sacramento a top minor league attraction and also a natural fit as the Athletics’ home in 2025
MINOR LEAGUE MANAGER OFTHEYEAR ZACH VINCEJ, MODESTO
Zach Vincej led Modesto to back-to-back California League championships with teams brimming with top Mariners talent
MINOR LEAGUE TEAM OF THE YEAR LAKE COUNTY CAPTAINS
The low-payroll Guardians rely on homegrown talent to fuel MLB success. Midwest League-champion Lake County provides optimism for the future.
MLB COACH OF THE YEAR CHRIS FETTER, TIGERS
Chris Fetter applies all the right touches to a Tigers pitching staff that clawed its way toward the top
MLB EXECUTIVE OF THE YEAR MATT ARNOLD, BREWERS
Continuity is the Brewers’ secret weapon. Matt Arnold made sure the 2024 club met expectations
MLB MANAGER OF THE YEAR DAVE ROBERTS, DODGERS
The Dodgers’ Dave Roberts has done things few managers have ever done. Now, he’s finally getting his due.
