Danny White, If You Wanna Save This Program, Promote Josh Elander
Image: Kate Luffman/Tennessee Athletics
By Aidan Sidoti
Tony Vitello is gone.
The architect of Tennessee’s baseball resurgence is headed to the big leagues, officially named manager of the San Francisco Giants on Wednesday afternoon.
And now, Danny White faces the most important decision of his tenure as athletic director.
Who leads the Vols next?
The answer is already in the building, Danny.
Josh Elander isn’t just the obvious choice.
He’s the only choice if Tennessee wants to preserve the culture, momentum, and recruiting prowess Vitello built. Elander has been Vitello’s right-hand man since 2018, elevated to associate head coach in 2022, and has played a critical role in developing Tennessee’s hitters.
He helped shape the identity of a program that went from SEC basement dweller to national champion in just six seasons.
A former standout at TCU, Elander began his coaching career as a volunteer assistant at Arkansas in 2017 before joining Vitello’s staff in Knoxville.
Former Vols have also voiced their support for Elander to take the reins.
The program-leader in saves, Redmond Walsh was pretty direct on X.
National champions Christian Moore and Hunter Ensley echoed the opinion.
Elander has earned the trust of the locker room, the respect from the fanbase, and the backing of former players who brought Tennessee its first national title.
If Danny White wants to keep Tennessee baseball at the top, he doesn’t need a national search.
He needs to walk into the baseball facility and hand Josh Elander the keys.
