Sports

Vols’ Vitello makes MLB history as Giants skipper

Published

2 months ago

October 23, 2025

Vols’ Vitello makes MLB history as Giants skipper

Oct 22, 2025, 01:11 PM ET

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.”

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Sports

Chiefs’ Mahomes has surgery for torn ACL, LCL

Published

3 hours ago

December 16, 2025

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Chiefs’ Mahomes has surgery for torn ACL, LCL

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes underwent successful surgery Monday night in Dallas to repair the tear in his left ACL, the team announced.

The surgery was performed by Dr. Dan Cooper, the Dallas Cowboys‘ head team physician. A league source told ESPN that Dr. Cooper also repaired the torn LCL in Mahomes’ left knee, confirming a report by NFL Network.

According to the Chiefs, Mahomes “will begin his rehab process immediately.”

Mahomes was injured with less than two minutes remaining in Sunday’s 16-13 loss to the Chargers, a result that ended the Chiefs’ playoff hopes.

The typical recovery for such an injury is about nine months, meaning Mahomes will miss the team’s offseason program, and his availability for the start of next season is in question. The 2026 NFL season opener is Sept. 10.

“He’ll attack it, just like he does everything else,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said earlier Monday when addressing Mahomes’ rehab. “There have been some pretty good quarterbacks who have had the same injury, and they’ve done pretty well after they came back. He’ll get after it, and he’s got good people here to rehab him. He’ll be right on top of all of that.”

One of the most prominent quarterbacks to rehab a torn ACL is Tom Brady, who was injured in the 2008 opener when he was 31 and in his ninth NFL season.

During Monday’s episode of his “Let’s Go!” podcast, Brady shared some advice for Mahomes based on his own experience.

“You’ve just got to put as much diligence into the rehab process,” said Brady, who went on to win four Super Bowls after his injury. “I always feel like the faster you rehab, the faster you can get back to practicing the sport that you know you love. I think sometimes people will pace themselves. Instead of training mode, they’re in rehab mode. I think you got to get through rehab mode as fast as possible, and then you get back to training mode.

“But that requires an all-out commitment and it’s the same commitment that the great professional athletes make to be great at their profession. When you go through the rehab process, you need that same level of focus and determination. It’s a tough rehab. It’s one of the toughest rehabs.”

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Sports

Spurs mull bringing Wemby off bench in Cup final

Published

4 hours ago

December 16, 2025

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Spurs mull bringing Wemby off bench in Cup final

Michael C. WrightDec 15, 2025, 06:00 PM ET
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- Joined ESPN in 2010
- Previously covered Bears for ESPN.com
- Played college football at West Texas A&M

LAS VEGAS — Victor Wembanyama played limited minutes off the bench in San Antonio‘s win over Oklahoma City in the semifinals of the Emirates NBA Cup on Saturday, and Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said the team might employ a similar approach in Tuesday’s championship game against the New York Knicks.

“It’s going to be a mix of different opinions,” Wembanyama said Monday. “But I’m ready. Even I will have my own opinion [about what to do]. It will also be based on my thoughts and the thoughts of the staff. I just said a bunch of nothing. But basically, we’re going to discuss it.”

Wembanyama came off the bench Saturday for the first time in his career after missing 12 games because of a left calf strain. He played 21 minutes against the Thunder, racking up 15 of his 22 points in the fourth quarter, when the rest of his teammates combined for 18 points.

Wembanyama didn’t check into the game until the start of the second quarter, when Oklahoma City led by 11 points. Wembanyama had three rebounds, a tip-in layup and an assist on Dylan Harper‘s 3-pointer in his first three possessions. The Spurs’ center went 2-of-3 from the floor in the second quarter for five points as San Antonio cut the Thunder’s lead to three points at halftime.

“I know Vic wanted to get out there and play more, but we’re focused on his long-term [health],” Spurs guard Devin Vassell said. “I trust in Mitch 100 percent. They had the perfect plan. I know they talked about it over and over, and we executed it. As soon as Vic came in, he had the impact that we needed.”

A similar strategy could unfold Tuesday against the Knicks.

“It’ll be something that Victor and I will continue to talk through,” Johnson said. “It’s hard. He wants to play. He wants to start. He wants to finish. Wherever you put some minutes, that means you have less over there. We still have to think about what’s best for the team, unfortunately. That decision can’t be made in a vacuum, even though it’s a very impactful and influential decision. We still have to make sure it fits with the other rollout of who’s playing with who and how that affects others.”

Wembanyama is still eligible for major individual awards despite the time he has already missed. Even though the NBA Cup championship game won’t count in the standings, it counts toward the NBA’s 65-game rule for awards.

The Spurs attempted to maximize Wembanyama’s minutes restriction in the NBA Cup semifinal game. After playing a little more than seven minutes in the first half, Wembanyama played 13:20 after halftime.

“We’re not at a stage where we will be unintentional with his minutes, whether that’s volume over time [or] long stints,” Johnson said. “But we want to make sure we’ve learned or continue to learn from what has happened. That doesn’t mean we have the answers. But we don’t just say, ‘Oh, now we’re back,’ or whatever. We are still learning and want to be very mindful of that.”

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Sports

NFL Week 15 scores: Broncos, Rams clinch playoff berths

Published

4 hours ago

December 16, 2025

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NFL Week 15 scores: Broncos, Rams clinch playoff berths

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The NFL playoff picture began to unfold in Week 15.

The Denver Broncos and the Los Angeles Rams each won their respective games and will be playing deep into January. The Broncos were able to hold off the Green Bay Packers while the Rams took care of the Detroit Lions.

Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs learned their postseason fate as well. For the first time since the 2014 season, the Chiefs will not be a part of the playoffs. Furthermore, Mahomes will reportedly miss the remainder of the season with a torn ACL.

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Green Bay Packers’ Carrington Valentine watches Denver Broncos’ Courtland Sutton catch a pass for a first down during the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)

It would be double bad news for the Chiefs.

Teams that are in contention for the playoffs picked up huge wins.

The Buffalo Bills remained in the race for the AFC East title with a victory over the New England Patriots. The Baltimore Ravens put the Cincinnati Bengals behind them and kept close to the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Jacksonville Jaguars and Houston Texans received big wins, as did the Los Angeles Chargers.

The Philadelphia Eagles put the Las Vegas Raiders behind them, snapping their losing streak. The Chicago Bears made it look easy against the Cleveland Browns. The Seattle Seahawks spoiled Philip Rivers’ return and kept pace with the Rams.

PACKERS STAR MICAH PARSONS SUFFERS NON-CONTACT KNEE INJURY VS BRONCOS

Buffalo Bills outside linebacker Matt Milano (58) reacts after sacking New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye during the second half of an NFL football game in Foxborough, Massachusetts, Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

Read below to see how the rest of the games shook out.

Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025

Atlanta Falcons 29, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 28

Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025

Chicago Bears 31, Cleveland Browns 3
Baltimore Ravens 24, Cincinnati Bengals 0
Los Angeles Chargers 16, Kansas City Chiefs 13
Buffalo Bills 35, New England Patriots 31
Washington Commanders 29, New York Giants 21
Philadelphia Eagles 31, Las Vegas Raiders 0
Jacksonville Jaguars 48, New York Jets 20
Houston Texans 40, Arizona Cardinals 20
Denver Broncos 34, Green Bay Packers 26
Los Angeles Rams 41, Detroit Lions 34
New Orleans Saints 20, Carolina Panthers 17
San Francisco 49ers 37, Tennessee Titans 24
Seattle Seahawks 18, Indianapolis Colts 16
Minnesota Vikings @ Dallas Cowboys

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