Jimmy’s blog: Vitello said he’s reached `verbal agreement on some things’ at UT

Jimmy’s blog: Vitello said he’s reached `verbal agreement on some things’ at UT

Posted on June 29, 2021

By Jimmy Hyams

Tennessee baseball coach Tony vitello said he has reached a “verbal agreement with some things,’’ a strong indication he will return to Rocky Top next season, Vitello said Monday on WNML’s SportsTalk radio show.

“There’s a lot going a lot going on with what we’re trying to do with the facilities. I can tell you there’s been constant communication with the administration, which is nice. Also there’s a lot of kicking the can down the road a little bit, if that makes sense.’’

Vitello said he would like to enlarge 4,500-seat Lindsey Nelson Stadium with skyboxes and/or seats down the third-base line. He would also like some infrastructure improvements and more money for his staff.

Vitello didn’t want to negotiate a new deal during the season so as not to be a “distraction’’ to the team or staff.

“The healthiest thing for anyone involved with the Vol Nation was for some things to get moved down the road, so maybe things happen later than some expected,’’ Vitello said.

“There’s progress being made every day.’’

Vitello did not indicate a time frame for signing a new deal. Sources said Vitello could make between $1.2-to-1.5 million per year with an extension that would take him through the 2026 season.

When it was suggested Tennessee fans might have been happier than LSU fans that the Tigers hired Arizona coach Jay Johnson, Vitello chuckled.

“I appreciate you saying that,’’ vitello said. “because what I got in there I think was a compliment and what I also got in there was disgruntled LSU fans, and we’ll take that any day of the week.’’

Obviously, with LSU hiring Jay Johnson of Arizona, that lessoned the chances of Vitello leaving UT.

It’s not a given that Vitello would have taken the LSU job if offered, considering the amount of pressure that goes with the territory.

Vitello was a hero for getting UT to the CWS. Former LSU coach Smoke Laval went to two College World Series and was fired because he didn’t win one. In 15 years at LSU, Paul Mainieri won one national championship and went to five CWS, but that was a disappointment to many of the Tiger faithful, who saw Skip Bertman win five CWS in 10 years.

Texas A&M had Vitello high on its list, but the feeling wasn’t mutual.

Vitello didn’t argue with the notion that Tennessee had a disappointing end to a great season, going 0-2 in the CWS.

“Everyone was a little bitter about how things went in Omaha,’’ Vitello said. “It may sound like a loser’s mentality … I feel you’ve got to get there first to play your best.’’

Vitello said his team is looking for a theme for next year, the “Last Dance’’ theme of the Chicago Bulls under Phil Jackson.

“Our goal is to win one game in Omaha next year,’’ Vitello said. “Obviously, you’d like to win two, but you can’t win the second if you don’t win the first.’’

UT had a remarkable season. The Vols won the SEC East Division, made Omaha for the first time since 2005, had more wins (50) than any team in the CWS field, lost only two SEC series (at home to No. 1 Vanderbilt and later No. 1 Arkansas), had seven walk-off wins and hit six grand slams.

UT even had a watch party outside of Lindsey Nelson Stadium, for crying out loud.

Vitello has instilled a new energy in Tennessee baseball that was absent for more than a dozen years.

And if there is concern that Vitello can sustain his success at UT, remember, the Vols were 15-2 last year before the pandemic shuttered the season, with perhaps a more talented roster than the one that just went to the CWS.

Also, the state of Tennessee is loaded with talented baseball players, and Vitello is an ace recruiter.

There’s no reason to think Vitello can’t sustain success.

Of course, when you’ve tasted the CWS, expectations rise. They also rise when you get a lucrative contract. Just ask Rick Barnes. While Barnes probably doesn’t feel any added pressure, fan unrest occurred last season when the talented Vols were eliminated in the first round of the NCAA Tournament by relatively obscure Oregon State, which had to win the Pac-12 tournament to make the field.

“It was pretty cool what happened last year,’’ Vitello said, “and I think it can get even better.’’

Sponsored by Big Kahuna Wings: The wings that changed it all 

A Day In The Country – June 29th – Gabby Barrett, Brett Eldredge, Blake Shelton, & George Strait

A Day In The Country – June 29th – Gabby Barrett, Brett Eldredge, Blake Shelton, & George Strait

Posted on June 29, 2021

This is A Day in the Country with Paul Koffy – June 29th

On this day in 2020, Gabby Barrett’s “I Hope” is certified double-platinum

In 2014, Brett Eldredge was at number-one with “Beat Of The Music.”

In 2012 Blake Shelton’s hit song, “Honey Bee” was certified Double-Platinum

And on this day in 2002, George Strait was at number-one with “Living and Living Well”

Photo Credit: David McClister

Vescovi Makes Uruguay’s Olympic Qualifying Roster

Vescovi Makes Uruguay’s Olympic Qualifying Roster

Posted on June 28, 2021
Santiago Vescovi – Vols G / Credit: UT Athletics

Tennessee junior guard Santiago Vescovi has made Uruguay’s 12-man Olympic qualifying team and is set to begin qualifying competition in Victoria, Canada on Tuesday.

After having previously been named to the initial 16-man roster, Vescovi made the cut for the finalized 12-man roster after having practiced in Uruguay with the team for the past two weeks.

Vescovi and Uruguay will now contending for a spot in the Tokyo Olympics field through competing in the Victoria FIBA Qualifying Tournament, which begins Tuesday and runs through July 4.

The members of Uruguay’s 12-man roster are set to begin competition in group stage games against Turkey and Czech Republic on Tuesday and Thursday, respectively, before advancing to a bracket stage that will also include two of Greece, China and Canada. The winner of the bracket stage will earn a spot in the Tokyo Olympics, which are scheduled to run from July 23 through August 8.

Overall, 12 countries qualify for the Tokyo Olympics. The 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup produced seven of those qualifying teams, and Japan received an automatic bid as the event’s hosts. The remaining four spots in the field are reserved for the winners of the four different FIBA Olympic Qualifying tournaments.

After joining the Tennessee program midway through the 2019-20 season, Vescovi has been a key contributor for the Volunteers for one and a half seasons. The Montevideo, Uruguay, native has started 42 of his 46 games as a Vol and owns a career average of 9.5 points per game. Last season, Vescovi led Tennessee in minutes and assists per game, while his 1.6 assist-to-turnover ratio also led the team and was second among all SEC players.

-UT Athletics

A Day In The Country – June 28th – Kacey Musgraves, Tim McGraw, Miranda Lambert & Brad Paisley

A Day In The Country – June 28th – Kacey Musgraves, Tim McGraw, Miranda Lambert & Brad Paisley

Posted on June 28, 2021

This is A Day in the Country with Paul Koffy – June 28th

On this day in 2019, Kacey Musgraves’ album Golden Hour was certified gold.

In 2016, Tim McGraw was at number-one with “Humble and Kind.”

On this day in 2010, Miranda Lambert was in the middle of a 4 week run at number one with her blockbuster hit “The House that Built Me.”

And in 2007, Brad Paisley’s video for “Online” starring Jason Alexander debuts.

Photo Credit: Catherine Powell

Jameson Rodgers Thinks He Just Has To Show Up To His Wedding

Jameson Rodgers Thinks He Just Has To Show Up To His Wedding

Posted on June 28, 2021

Jameson Rodgers is getting married this year to his fiancée Sarah, and while there’s a lot of planning to be done…in the end, he thinks he just kind of has to show up.

Jameson shares how the wedding planning is going…

Between now the wedding Jameson also has to plan to host a bunch of concert dates…

We’re sure that one of those million little things that Jameson has to do for the wedding is making sure there’s plenty of cold ones for the guests.

Jameson is climbing the country airplay charts with Luke Combs and “Cold Beer Calling My Name”

Photo Credit: Matthew Berinato

Vitello Tabs VFL Richard Jackson as New Volunteer Assistant Coach

Vitello Tabs VFL Richard Jackson as New Volunteer Assistant Coach

Posted on June 26, 2021
Richard Jackson / Credit: UT Athletics

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee head baseball coach Tony Vitello announced on Saturday that VFL Richard Jackson will take over the role of volunteer assistant coach after spending the previous two seasons as a student assistant coach for the Volunteers.

Jackson will take the place of former volunteer assistant Ross Kivett, who recently accepted a full-time assistant coaching position at the University of Houston.

“The secret sauce, if any, to our program is that we have some of the best assistant coaches and support personnel in college baseball,” Vitello said. “It has become a routine for those folks to receive outside offers since we have been in Knoxville.

“Due to NCAA limits on two paid assistants in baseball, the one thing we can’t offer Ross right now is a full-time position with benefits. Houston could do that. We are happy to see one Vol rewarded for his efforts and success. We are equally excited to see another Vol move up to fill in the void left behind.”

During the last two seasons as a student assistant coach, Jackson worked closely with pitching coach Frank Anderson to develop one of the country’s top pitching staffs.

This past season, Tennessee’s pitching staff ranked in the top 10 nationally in strikeout-to-walk ratio (2nd – 3.63), walks allowed/nine innings (3rd – 2.49), WHIP (5th – 1.16) and ERA (10th – 3.51) as the Big Orange won 50 games for just the third time in program history and advanced to the College World Series for the first time since 2005.

During the COVID-shortened 2020 season, the Vols ranked among the top 25 in the nation in a handful of statistical categories, including: WHIP (0.94 – second), ERA (2.00 – fourth), hits allowed/nine innings (6.41 – 16th), shutouts (three – 12th), strikeout-to-walk ratio (4.89 – third) and walks allowed/nine innings (2.06 – third).

Prior to joining Vitello’s staff as a student assistant, Jackson was a pitcher for the Vols from 2015-19. Under the guidance of Anderson, Jackson completely changed his delivery prior to the 2019 season and had a breakout campaign in which he helped lead the Big Orange to the NCAA regionals for the first time since 2005.

The Atlanta native went 1-0 and posted careers bests in ERA (1.40), appearances (21), innings pitched (19.1) and strikeouts (21) while holding opponents to a .119 batting average. In his final outing with UT, Jackson threw 3.1 scoreless innings of relief, allowing just one hit while tying a career high with four strikeouts against No. 14 North Carolina in the NCAA Chapel Hill Regional.

In his new role, Jackson will also coordinate and oversee Tennessee’s year-round baseball camps.

-UT Athletics

Karen Weekly Announces Hiring of Chris and Kate Malveaux

Karen Weekly Announces Hiring of Chris and Kate Malveaux

Posted on June 25, 2021
Chris and Kate Malveaux – UT Softball / Credit: UT Athletics

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – On Friday, Tennessee softball head coach Karen Weekly announced the addition of Chris and Kate Malveaux to the Lady Vols’ coaching staff.

“I feel like we hit a bottom of the 7th game-winning grand slam with the hire of Chris & Kate Malveaux,” Weekly said. “Both are students of the game and exceptional teachers. Chris is one of the best and most innovative hitting coaches in college softball. Kate is an excellent catching instructor and has also spent extensive time coaching hitting during her career. Most important, they are high quality people who will bring passion and energy to work every day. They share our goal of winning and bringing championships to the Lady Vols. It’s a great day for UT Softball.”

Chris Malveaux, a Houston, Texas, native has spent the past three seasons at Missouri as an assistant coach and two years as an associate head coach. During his three seasons in Columbia, the Missouri offense improved each year – hitting .284 in 2019, .290 in the COVID shortened 2020 season and jumping up to .320 in 2021.

This past season, the Tigers .320 batting average ranked second in the Southeastern Conference. The Mizzou squad finished the 2021 season with 91 home runs, 382 runs scored and 184 extra base hits.

Championed as one of the nation’s best hitting coaches, in 2019 Mizzou’s Brooke Wilmes was named to the All-SEC first team, as well as NFCA Second Team All-Southeast Region, in her first year under Chris Malveaux. Then freshman Jazymn Rollin was a Top 25 finalist for the NFCA/Schutt Sports Freshman of the Year that same season.

Prior to joining Missouri, Chris Malveaux was the video coordinator at Kansas in 2018 and served as the associate head coach at Louisiana from 2016-17 – it was his second stay with the Ragin’ Cajuns as he was an assistant coach with ULL from 2009-11.

The 2010 Louisiana staff was selected as the NFCA South Region Coaching Staff of the Year after compiling a 45-18 record, making an NCAA Super Regional appearance and No. 16 national ranking. In his five combined seasons at Louisiana, Malveaux was a member of five Sun Belt Conference and Tournament Championships, five NCAA Regionals and two NCAA Super Regional bids.

Chris Malveaux served as an assistant coach at Bradley from 2012-15 and was the head coach at McNeese State from 2005-08 after being promoted from assistant coach, a title he held at McNeese from 2002-04.

Chris Malveaux is a 2001 graduate from Texas A&M and will serve as Tennessee’s assistant/hitting coach.

“We are so very fortunate to have this opportunity to be a part of Rocky Top,” Chris Malveaux said. “Thank you to the Weekly’s for trusting us to be a part of this historic program. Ralph and Karen have made such a tremendous impact in the world of softball. It’s truly an honor to have their trust in not just continuing, but building onto its success. We can’t wait to get in and get to work in helping bring Tennessee back to the Women’s College World Series.”

Kate Malveaux, formerly Kate Singler, will also join the staff as a volunteer assistant coach. Kate Malveaux was on the Missouri softball staff the last two seasons as its director of operations.

“This is such an exciting time for Lady Vols softball, and we are so grateful for this opportunity to be a part of such an iconic program and university,” Kate Malveaux said. “I am humbled to join Karen’s staff and am grateful for her vision of how Chris and I can help take this program to the next level.

“I am beyond thrilled to get back on the field and am honored to do so in orange and white. This is a program that’s so rich in tradition and they are fierce competitors. With the groundwork laid by Karen and the strong commitment of women’s athletics at Tennessee, the sky is the limit for this group.”

A standout softball player at Bradley, Kate Malveaux served as a volunteer assistant coach for the Braves in 2012. As a player, she was a second-team All-Missouri Valley Conference selection and a first-team MVC Scholar-Athlete. Kate Malveaux also earned First-Team Capital One Academic All-District V honors her senior season.

In her junior and senior seasons, she led Bradley in RBIs back-to-back years, becoming just the fifth player in program history to do so.

-UT Athletics

Lady A’s What A Song Can Do (Chapter One) is Available Now

Lady A’s What A Song Can Do (Chapter One) is Available Now

Posted on June 25, 2021

Lady A‘s What A Song Can Do (Chapter One) is available now!

Talking about the new collection of music, which includes their current single “Like A Lady” – Hillary Scott says, “I think it’s a continuation of what we really tried to step into on the last record…of just going back to what feels the most authentic to us. The songs that we really gravitated towards and would say are kind of the most pillars of who we are as a band from the very beginning and that this album is a very present continuation of that.”

What A Song Can Do (Chapter One) contains 7 songs, with another Chapter coming later this year.

When it comes to this new “Chapters” style of releasing music, Dave Haywood says “We’ve been doing this 15-years…putting out records traditionally every time. I think we’re looking for ways to, just kind of mix it up and let the fans have…sort of different moments.”

Bandmate Charles Kelley the experience he thinks fans will have with their new album, “I think they’ll dig in more to each chapter more. I feel like if you give someone 7 songs – they’re really going to dig in and sometimes it’s tough for them after about 6, 7, 8, songs – you’re like “Ok”

Hillary adds, “In years past, we feel like we’ve put so many songs on a full-length album – which this one will be considered a full-length album when the second chapter is released later in the Fall, but everybody is going to listen and find their favorite songs, but to me this gives you a way to really highlight and spotlight all 7 for what they are, and what they say and what they bring to this project.”

“Like A Lady” is one of the 7 tracks on What A Song Can Do (Chapter One) 

Photos Courtesy of Lady A

A Day In The Country – June 25th – Darius Rucker, FGL, Kenny Chesney & Shania Twain

A Day In The Country – June 25th – Darius Rucker, FGL, Kenny Chesney & Shania Twain

Posted on June 25, 2021

This is A Day in the Country with Paul Koffy – June 25th

On this day in 2017, Darius Rucker was at number-one with “If I Told You.”

In 2013, everybody was “Cruise”ing as the massive hit by Florida Georgia Line was dominating the charts

In 2007, in the pages of People magazine – Kenny Chesney was named one of the hottest bachelors of the year.

And on this day in 2003, Shania Twain was inducted into Canada’s Walk of Fame

Photo Credit: Allister Ann

Chandler Makes 12-Man USA Basketball U19 Team

Chandler Makes 12-Man USA Basketball U19 Team

Posted on June 25, 2021
Kennedy Chandler – UT G / Credit: UT Athletics

Tennessee basketball freshman Kennedy Chandler has made the 12-man roster for the 2021 USA Basketball Men’s U19 World Cup Team.

Chandler now will travel with Team USA from Fort Worth, Texas—site of the U.S. training camp—to Latvia, where the FIBA U19 World Cup will be contested from July 3-11.

Rated by ESPN as the nation’s top point guard in the Class of 2021, Chandler earned All-America honors from McDonald’s Spalding and Sports Illustrated after leading Sunrise Christian Academy (Kan.) to the championship game of the prestigious GEICO Nationals tournament in April.

He enrolled at Tennessee and began practicing with the Vols earlier this month before departing to compete for a spot on the U19 World Cup Team.

Chandler is one of six incoming college freshmen to make the roster, which also includes Patrick Baldwin Jr. (Wisconsin-Milwaukee), Jonathan Davis (Wisconsin), Caleb Furst (Purdue), Chet Holmgren (Gonzaga), Harrison Ingram (Stanford), Jaden Ivey (Purdue), Ryan Kalkbrenner (Creighton), Kenneth Lofton Jr. (Louisiana Tech), Mike Miles (TCU), Adam Miller (LSU) and Peyton Watson (UCLA).

The 2021 USA Basketball Men’s U19 World Cup Team is led by TCU head coach Jamie Dixon with Stanford head coach Jerod Haase and Yale head coach James Jones rounding out the staff as assistant coaches.

In addition to the USA and host Latvia, teams that will take part in the men’s U19 World Cup include Argentina, Australia, Canada, China, France, Japan, Lithuania, Mali, Puerto Rico, Senegal, Serbia, South Korea, Spain and Turkey.

The USA was drawn into Group D, alongside Australia, Mali and Turkey for the July 3-6 FIBA U19 World Cup preliminary round. The USA will open play against Turkey on July 3, followed by Mali on July 4 and close preliminary play against Australia on July 6.

Reigning FIBA U19 World Cup gold medalist, USA men’s teams have won seven gold medals, three silver medals and one bronze medal while compiling an 98-14 overall record in U19 World Cup play since the event was launched in 1979. Even more impressive, the USA has won four of the past six U19 golds since 2009.

Another current Vol, rising junior Josiah-Jordan James, has experience winning international gold with USA Basketball.  James was a member of the United States’ gold-medal-winning team at the 2018 FIBA Americas U18 Championship.

-UT Athletics

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