“Class act” “Great man”: College baseball fans impressed by Tennessee HC Tony Vitello’s appearance at 2024 MLB draft

Tennessee baseball coach Tony Vitello was at the Cowtown Coliseum for Day 1 of the 2024 MLB draft. Four Vols players were selected in the opening two rounds of the draft on Sunday and Vitello provided insights on each of his picks as a guest analyst on the MLB Network.

Fans on X were impressed with how Vitello conducted himself on the big night.

"Vol fans see it and we thank you!! We feel like no one sees this but us. He’s a great man and an incredible coach." one tweeted.

"Love watching the Vols and love TV. It’s obvious why kids love playing for him," one more tweeted.

"He’s a great guy. Tony V fan," a fan tweeted.

Others pointed out that Vitello has matured a lot since taking over as Tennessee coach in 2017 and has now become a fan favorite.

"He has matured a ton. Now is a class act with tons of passion that he’s learned how to tone down. A real players coach. They love him deeply as you can tell." tweeted a user.

"Felt the same. Watching him last night in the draft gave me a whole new perspective." tweeted another.

"There is a reason that Tennessee fans get so upset and frustrated when people say bad things about Tony V. He is a really good guy and really, really great to the fans. Even as his star continues to rise, he continues to personally show fans he values them & he doesn’t have to." a fan tweeted.

Tony Vitello led Tennessee to its first College World Series title in 2024, etching his name in Vols lore.

Christian Moore becomes highest-drafted Tennessee player in Tony Vitello era

Tony Vitello led Tennessee to its maiden College World Series title in 2024 (Image Credits: IMAGN)

The Los Angeles Angels drafted Christian Moore eighth overall on Sunday. He became the highest-drafted Tennessee player since Tony Vitello took over as the Vols coach.

Moore had a sensational year with Tennessee in 2024, blasting a program-record 34 homers. He also recorded a .375 batting average with 74 RBIs.

When Moore was drafted by the Angels, he gave a special shoutout to Vitello, referring to the Tennessee coach as the "GOAT."

After Moore, the next Vols player to get picked was Blake Burke, who the Milwaukee Brewers took with the 34th pick. The Minnesota Twins drafted Billy Amick with the No. 60 overall pick, while the Texas Rangers selected outfielder Dylan Dreiling with the 65th pick.

It will be interesting to see how many Tennessee players get picked on Day 2 of the 2024 MLB draft on Monday.