"F*cking brutal"; "Pretty awesome" - Giants fans react differently to Tony Vitello's appointment as skipper

The San Francisco Giants are reportedly finalizing a deal to hire Tennessee coach Tony Vitello as their next manager. It's a move that would mark an unprecedented jump from college straight to an MLB dugout without prior professional coaching experience.

Vitello has transformed Tennessee into a national powerhouse, compiling an impressive record, multiple Southeastern Conference titles and a College World Series championship in 2024. He is widely praised for his fiery, competitive style, his recruiting acumen and ability to develop talent.

However, critics noted that the jump from managing college rosters and schedules to handling the 162-game MLB grind, veteran personalities and analytics-driven staff is massive.

“F*cking brutal” one fan said.

Billy Bowling  𝕏

@babowling12

@PeteThamel @JeffPassan Fucking brutal.

“Pretty awesome stuff” a fan tweeted.

“Is Buster trying to run this organization into the ground? First, the Devers fiasco, and now they hire a guy to be a manager who has absolutely no experience in the pros” another fan said.

“And this time next year, they’ll be searching for a new manager and Vitello will be looking for a job as well” a fan wrote.

“lol the ONLY sport Tennessee could actually win in the post season” one fan commented.

“I’m gonna love watching him meltdown when the robot strike zone tells him exactly what he doesn’t wanna hear” another fan tweeted.

Giants make bold, historic hire as franchise looks for new direction.

Many fans on social media praised the passion and energy Tony Vitello is known for. However, some warned that his resume doesn’t include the year-to-year realities of managing big-leaguers.

Supporters noted Vitello’s track record, several coach of the year honors, steady NCAA tournament appearances and a line of MLB draftees out of his program. They consider it reasons that he may be able to bring that success to the major leagues. But detractors argue that college success doesn’t guarantee the nuanced clubhouse management, pacing and roster construction required in MLB.

There are also some practical questions: how will Vitello construct a grizzled coaching staff familiar with big-time pitching philosophy, rotation management and analytics integration? Does leadership of the recruiting variety carry over to those entrenched vets? Others also raised how will he handle a market like San Francisco, with such high expectations and media scrutiny.

The answers will determine whether this becomes a masterstroke that resets the Giants’ culture or a cautionary tale about skipping the pro coaching ladder.

Whether fans cheer or jeer, one thing is clear. The baseball world will be watching closely as Tony Vitello attempts a leap no one in recent memory has successfully made.