After days of negotiations, Tennessee coach Tony Vitello has been named the new manager of the San Francisco Giants, the team announced Wednesday, marking the first time a big league team has hired a manager directly from a college program without any experience as a professional coach.

Vitello — who considered staying at Tennessee, where he won the Men’s College World Series in 2024 — replaces Bob Melvin, who was fired Sept. 29 following an 81-81 season, the Giants’ fourth consecutive year without a playoff berth.

“I’m incredibly honored and grateful for this opportunity,” Vitello said in a statement. “I’m excited to lead this group of players and represent the San Francisco Giants. I can’t wait to get started and work to establish a culture that makes Giants faithful proud.”

Vitello, 47, was regarded as one of the best coaches in college baseball, a high-energy recruiting wizard who built talent-laden teams and turned around a program that had toiled in mediocrity for decades. He emerged as the Giants’ main target after former San Francisco catcher Nick Hundley withdrew from consideration.

By making Vitello his first managerial hire, San Francisco president of baseball operations Buster Posey is banking on Vitello’s success at Tennessee translating to the major leagues. Chosen over former Baltimore Orioles manager Brandon Hyde and two other former big league catchers interviewed by the Giants — Kurt Suzuki and Vance Wilson — Vitello distinguished himself as one of the preeminent coaches in the country during a two-decade career as an assistant and head coach in college, enough so that the Giants were willing to pay the $3 million buyout on his contract, sources said.

“We’re thrilled to welcome Tony to the Giants family,” said Posey in a statement. “Tony is one of the brightest, most innovative, and most respected coaches in college baseball today. Throughout our search, Tony’s leadership, competitiveness, and commitment to developing players stood out. His ability to build strong, cohesive teams and his passion for the game align perfectly with the values of our organization. We look forward to the energy and direction he will bring, along with the memories to be made, as we focus on the future of Giants baseball.”

The closest facsimile to Vitello would be Milwaukee Brewers manager Pat Murphy, who spent 25 years coaching in college before joining the San Diego Padres as a minor league manager. Murphy then spent eight years as Brewers bench coach before taking over as manager in 2024, when he won National League Manager of the Year.

Vitello’s move to the major leagues will come at a far more rapid pace. Outside of a first-place NL West finish in 2021, the Giants have finished third or worse in the division every year since 2017. Beyond the dominance of the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Giants are seen by evaluators as a less-talented team than San Diego and Arizona as well. San Francisco’s core of first baseman Rafael Devers, shortstop Willy Adames and third baseman Matt Chapman is solid — and could be strengthened this winter via free agent spending, according to sources.

Following more than 10 years as an assistant coach at Missouri, TCU and Arkansas, Vitello took over a moribund Tennessee program before the 2018 season and posted a 341-131 record, advancing to the Men’s College World Series in 2021, 2023 and 2024. With a pair of eventual first-round draft picks and four second-rounders, Tennessee beat Texas A&M to win the school’s first baseball national championship last year.

Vitello, whose boisterous personality endeared him at Tennessee and chafed other SEC schools, enters an entirely different realm in MLB. Whereas college jobs are often defined by the success of recruiting classes, major league teams are constructed by baseball-operations departments with the manager relied upon for clubhouse cohesion, in-game decision-making, bullpen usage and daily media interactions.

Tennessee athletic director Danny White issued a statement Wednesday thanking Vitello for elevating the Vols to a “championship program.”

“Congratulations to Tony on this incredible opportunity to lead the San Francisco Giants,” White wrote. “We wish him the best as he embarks on this new chapter in his career and thank him for everything he has done to transform Tennessee baseball into a championship program.”

The reticence of MLB teams to dip into the college ranks for managers is long established and has run counter to the hiring practices of other professional sports leagues. NFL teams have regularly plucked head coaches from the college ranks, and in the NBA, there is no stigma associated with college coaches. Major league organizations have been more open to hiring coaches from college than managers. Pitching coach Wes Johnson left Arkansas to take the same role with the Minnesota Twins in 2019; he left the Twins three years later to accept the pitching coach job at LSU before joining Georgia as its head coach prior to the 2024 season.

In an interview with ESPN in June, Vitello said his reputation as a rabble-rouser did not bother him and that he had no plans to change his approach to coaching, which called for pushing boundaries.

“I think you don’t know where the line is until you cross it. And then you make an adjustment,” Vitello said. “I don’t want our guys, if they give them a coloring book, I don’t want them just coloring inside the lines. You know, come up with something different.”

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Big 12 might boast the top two picks in next summer’s NBA draft — but both Kansas guard Darryn Peterson and BYU wing AJ Dybantsa say the NBA isn’t on their minds right now.

Speaking at Big 12 media day on Wednesday, Peterson — a five-star recruit and 6-foot-6 guard who is projected to go No. 1 in ESPN’s latest 2026 NBA mock draft — said he’s focused on helping the Jayhawks win this season, not the chatter about his future.

“I handle it by not even paying any attention to it,” Peterson told ESPN. “I’m just going to go out and play and win games.”

Peterson on Wednesday was tabbed as Big 12 Preseason Freshman of the Year and a unanimous selection to the All-Big 12 preseason first team. Dybantsa, the 6-foot-9 standout who is projected to be drafted second, was named to the Associated Press preseason All-America team on Monday.

The buzz around Dybantsa grew on Saturday when he recorded 30 points (10-for-19), 7 rebounds and 3 steals in BYU’s 90-89 exhibition loss to Nebraska. Dybantsa said playing a road game against the Huskers was a good experience, despite the loss.

“I think that not everybody had their best game. Some people had jitters,” he said. “It was the first college game for the freshmen or their first game with BYU or their first game on the biggest stage. I like the Big 12 level, but I learned a lot. I felt more comfortable getting into an exhibition and just getting to [compete] out there, getting to learn the away crowds, how away games are. I never really played a crazy away game, so that was fun.”

But the speculation about him potentially being the No. 1 pick — and maybe battling his Big 12 peer Peterson in the pursuit — is something Dybantsa has tried to avoid, too.

“I think me and [Peterson] probably have similar mindsets, obviously, playing with him since I’ll say my freshman year,” Dybantsa said. “I don’t think he is too worried about [going No. 1]. I think he’s just really trying to prove himself as a college player and he’s probably got the same goal as me: to go out and win.”

Peterson said his only focus right now is to be a great leader for the Jayhawks and adjust to college life.

“I lead by example and I’m trying to do all the right stuff, both on and off the court,” he said. “I think that’s good for the team if you can see a young guy coming in and doing that.”

Although Dybantsa and Peterson were the focus of Wednesday’s event, another NBA prospect’s name was mentioned, too.

UCF coach Johnny Dawkins, following his team’s 96-71 exhibition loss at Duke on Tuesday night, hopped on a plane to Kansas City with his players for Big 12 media day.

Dawkins, a former Duke star, said freshman Cameron Boozer — the two-time national Gatorade Player of the Year and projected No. 3 pick in ESPN’s latest mock draft — has the talent to excel at the next level after he scored 33 points (4-for-7 from 3) in the win.

“He’s terrific. He’s a great basketball player and he still has room to grow,” Dawkins said Wednesday. “I mean, I’m watching him out there and the thing that stood out more than anything is that it was a really good basketball game, and his competitive spirit, you saw him raise his level and that’s what the great players do. They’re able to raise their level in those moments and I saw him do that.

“When I saw that happen, I knew exactly who he’s going to be. He’s going to be a great college player and he’s going to be a terrific pro.”

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Florida Gators baseball coach Kevin O’Sullivan will take a leave of absence to address personal matters effective immediately, the school said Wednesday.

Associate head coach Chuck Jeroloman will take over O’Sullivan’s duties on an interim basis.

“I appreciate the support of the University and athletic department,” O’Sullivan said in a statement. “I have some personal and family issues that need my full attention at this time.”

O’Sullivan is the program’s all-time wins leader with a 756-371 (.671) record in 18 seasons. He has led the Gators to 17 NCAA regionals, nine College World Series appearances, six Southeastern Conference championships and the 2017 national title.

“Coach O’Sullivan has our full support as he takes the time he needs to focus on personal matters,” athletic director Scott Stricklin said. “We appreciate his openness in communicating this decision, and respect his need for privacy.”

In August, the NCAA Division I Baseball Committee issued a public reprimand to O’Sullivan for aggressive behavior and profanity-laced language directed at site administrators for the regional in Conway, South Carolina, in June.

O’Sullivan publicly apologized June 2, the day after his tirade. Florida also suspended O’Sullivan for the first three games of the 2026 regular season.

O’Sullivan was upset because the start time of his team’s elimination game against East Carolina – an 11-4 loss – was pushed back an hour. East Carolina’s previous game had ended at midnight.

Videos of O’Sullivan’s tirade were circulated widely on social media. Kevin Schnall, coach of host Coastal Carolina, ripped O’Sullivan for the outburst during a news conference later that day.