Some awards are far too easy to overthink. This is one of those awards, at least this year.
The American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) announced on Wednesday that Tony Vitello won their coach of the year award. Vitello’s Tennessee Vols claimed the school’s first ever College World Series titled with 6-5 win over Texas A&M on Monday night.
The ABCA and ATEC are proud to announce the 2024 National Coaches of the Year in all collegiate and high school divisions!
FULL ANNOUNCEMENT https://t.co/BPCahWoPNa
The 2024 ABCA/ATEC National Coaches of the Year will be honored on Friday, January 3, 2025, at the ABCA… pic.twitter.com/sUpxicTIM8
— ABCA (@ABCA1945) June 26, 2024
I mean, yeah. That one’s pretty easy. Tennessee achieved heights that no program has reached in decades. The Vols became the first #1 overall seed in the tournament to win it all since the Miami Hurricanes in 1999, a baffling trend that is no more. Tennessee also became the first school since Wichita State in 1989 to win 60 games in a season while also winning it all.
There were certainly some other coaches that would have been good candidates in any other year. Texas’ new manager Jim Schlossnagle – who did a massive heel turn by joining his rival Longhorns from Texas A&M the day after the Aggies lost to the Vols – brought the Aggies right to the brink after a 53-win season. Kentucky’s Nick Mingione did yeoman’s work this year for the Wildcats. Kentucky officially earned a share of the SEC regular season title with Tennessee, ultimately earning a #2 overall seed and reaching Omaha for the first time in school history.
However, Tennessee’s huge season overshadowed every other candidate, at least in the coaching sense. While Christian Moore has been robbed time and again of personal achievements/awards and recognition this year, it’s at least nice to see Vitello get recognized here.
And with the way the Vols have been building over the last four years, it’s likely not the last time that Vitello will end up with his name on this trophy.