Vitello spoke with local media in Knoxville, Tenn. about his decision to leave the Volunteers for the major leagues.

The University of Tennessee lost its most beloved coach this week, and the only one that delivered a national championship in recent years, as Tony Vitello accepted the manager position for the San Francisco Giants.

New San Francisco Giants manager Tony Vitello admitted to putting himself first when he made the decision to leave his job as head coach at Tennessee to take a premium gig at the MLB level.

New Giants manager Tony Vitello detailed his decision to leave the University of Tennessee for a job with San Francisco.

After eight seasons as Tennessee’s head coach, Vitello is set to become the manager of Major League Baseball’s San Francisco Giants, marking an unprecedented move in baseball history. The 47-year-old Vitello becomes the first college coach to immediately become a manager without any prior professional experience.

Tony Vitello included Ole Miss football coach Lane Kiffin in his statement on leaving Tennessee for the San Francisco Giants. Here's why

Tennessee fans refuse to go down in this battle without a fight, as they have started to look for some of the biggest reasons to keep one of btheir greatest col