Tennessee
Tennessee makes Tony Vitello highest-paid coach in college baseball after winning national championship
Tennessee is rewarding head baseball coach Tony Vitello nicely for winning the College World Series.
The university announced on Friday that Vitello has agreed to a five-year contract extension that will pay him $3 million per year — double his previous salary. The deal will make him the highest-paid coach in college baseball, reports The Athletic’s Joe Rexrode.
The Volunteers won their first-ever Division I men’s baseball championship in June, defeating Texas A&M in three games to win the title. Tennessee was the national No. 1 seed going into the NCAA tournament, becoming the first program to win the College World Series with that ranking since 1999.
Think we’ll let him stick around 😉
Head coach Tony Vitello has signed a 5-year contract extension through the 2029 season.
— Tennessee Baseball (@Vol_Baseball) August 23, 2024
Vitello was hired as Tennessee’s head coach following the 2017 season after 15 years as an assistant coach at Missouri, TCU and Arkansas. By his second season, the Vols won 40 games and made their first NCAA tournament appearance since 2005. In his fifth season, Tennessee advanced to the College World Series for the first time in 17 years.
Under Vitello, the Vols have made three of the past four College World Series and finally broke through by winning 60 games and a national championship this past season. He’s compiled a 295–112 overall record in Knoxville.
Previously, Vitello was the fifth-highest paid coach in the SEC, according to Front Office Sports. With his new contract, he surpasses Vanderbilt’s Tim Corbin ($2.45 million per year) for the top annual salary in the sport. (Jim Schlossnagle, who left Texas A&M for Texas after the College World Series, will be paid $2.68 million in the third year of his contract with the Longhorns, reports the Austin American-Statesman.)
Vitello and Tennessee agreed to the new contract on May 31, according to the Knoxville News Sentinel. If the school fires him without cause during the next five years, Vitello would be owed the remainder of the contract. The coach would owe Tennessee $4 million if he left for another job before June 2025. The buyout amount drops by $1 million in each of the two seasons after that, goes to $800,000 in July 2027, then $400,000 in the final year of the contract.
Also, Vitello’s buyout for leaving Tennessee would be reduced by half if athletic director Danny White is no longer in that position during the length of the contract.
The Tennessee Titans’ search for their next head coach is coming into focus, and the initial interview phase is in full swing.
Following the news that Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy would be having a first virtual interview on Thursday, the dates and times for some interviews for other candidates have come out.
Multiple reports on social media indicate that Indianapolis Colts defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo will meet with Mike Borgonzi on Wednesday, followed by Nagy on Thursday. The team will then follow that up by meeting with former Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski on Saturday and former Atlanta Falcons head coach Raheem Morris on Monday.
Tennessee will also meet with interim head coach Mike McCoy, and is rumored to have interest in former Washington Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury.
It’s an ever-changing process in Nashville. Stay up to date with all the coaching search news with us here at Titans Wire, and please sound off with your thoughts.
Tennessee
Sick and tired: Counties near Chattanooga are now reporting highest flu rates in Tennessee
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn — Tennessee health officials say flu activity is rising sharply in around Chattanooga, with counties surrounding Hamilton showing some of the highest rates in the state.
Marion, Grundy, Sequatchie, Bradley, Meigs, Rhea, Bledsoe, McMinn and Polk counties are currently the only areas in Tennessee rated “very high” for influenza activity by the Tennessee Dept. of Health. Photo via the Tennessee Health Dept.
Marion, Grundy, Sequatchie, Bradley, Meigs, Rhea, Bledsoe, McMinn and Polk counties are currently the only areas in Tennessee rated “very high” for influenza activity by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
These counties have flu positivity rates greater than 10 percent. By comparison, the statewide average is 6.5 percent, and Hamilton County itself is at 6.9 percent.
State and federal health experts say the surge comes as influenza A(H3N2) continues to circulate widely. The CDC reports at least 11 million flu illnesses, 120,000 hospitalizations, and 5,000 deaths nationwide so far this season. One pediatric death was reported this week in Tennessee, bringing the season total to nine nationwide.
File photo: Getty Images.
Georgia officials are also reporting higher-than-average flu activity, signaling that the region is experiencing a particularly active season. Health authorities encourage residents six months and older to get vaccinated if they have not already and to take precautions such as frequent handwashing and staying home when sick.
Flu activity is expected to remain elevated in Tennessee and across the U.S. for several more weeks, according to the CDC. Local hospitals and clinics are urging families to monitor symptoms and seek care early, especially for children, older adults, and those with chronic health conditions.
For the latest guidance on influenza vaccination and antiviral treatments, visit the Tennessee Department of Health or the CDC at cdc.gov.
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