Vitello hired to lead Vols

Arkansas assistant baseball coach Tony Vitello watches practice Monday, Oct. 17, 2016, in Fayetteville.

— Tennessee has hired Tony Vitello as head coach, the university announced Wednesday.

Vitello, 38, has spent the last four seasons as Arkansas' hitting coach and recruiting coordinator. He agreed to a five-year contract at Tennessee worth $493,000 per year.

“This is as good of an opportunity as there is in the country,” Vitello said. “I consider myself incredibly blessed to be a part of the athletic department at the University of Tennessee. It’s the ultimate combination of an elite conference, a state school with great in-state players, a phenomenal city and outstanding tradition that exists not just with baseball, but across all sports."

Vitello replaces Dave Serrano, who resigned after failing to take the Volunteers to the NCAA Tournament in six seasons.

Vitello is considered one of the best recruiters in college baseball and helped assemble College World Series teams at Arkansas and TCU.

“Proven experience evaluating and recruiting at the highest level and in the grind of the SEC was an absolute prerequisite, and Coach Vitello checks all the boxes," Tennessee athletics director John Currie said. "He has a track record of helping to build healthy and competitive programs—from those earliest relationships formed during the recruiting process through the development of young men into major league ballplayers.

"Coach Vitello has been to a dozen NCAA Tournaments, and he’s been part of a staff that led a team to Omaha. He knows firsthand what it takes to win in the Southeastern Conference, and he has triumphed in recruiting battles for elite prospects in our SEC footprint and other talent-rich areas across the country."

Vitello is the second assistant from Dave Van Horn's coaching tree to become a head coach in the SEC. Rob Childress, a pitching coach for Van Horn in stops at Northwestern State and Nebraska, is the head coach at Texas A&M.

Other head coaches who are former assistants under Van Horn include Sam Houston State's Matt Deggs, Wichita State's Todd Butler, Arkansas-Little Rock's Chris Curry and Louisiana Tech's Lane Burroughs.

"Tony has done an incredible job during his time here at Arkansas as a recruiter and a coach," Van Horn said. "He has poured his heart and soul into our program. He's elevated our recruiting. I knew when I hired him that I would probably only have him for three or four years.

“He’s worked extremely hard and has brought in some of the best talent from across the country year in and year out for each program he has worked for, and that’s what he’s done here at the University of Arkansas.

“I’m excited for him, personally and professionally, because I know he has aspired to be a head coach at this type of program. This is great for his career and I couldn't be more happy for Tony and his future."