Tennessee Vols baseball coach Tony Vitello's fiery post-game rant after UT advanced to the College World Series via their win against Evansville on Sunday received quite a bit of attention from the national media. 

Vitello was understandably upset about a question that was asked by a reporter after Tennessee's loss to Evansville the previous day. 

The reporter asked Vitello if losing on Sunday to Evansville would mean "another unsuccessful season" for the Vols. 

It's the way the question was phrased — suggesting that previous seasons weren't a success because the Vols didn't win a national championship — that seemed to upset Vitello and some of Tennessee's players. 

Here's the rant in case you somehow missed it. 

Tony Vitello just gave one of the fiercest postgame press conference openings I’ve ever seen.

He was clearly upset with a question from yesterday asking if they lost tonight, would this season be seen as a success.

There was A LOT more involved with this. pic.twitter.com/gcmcXSUPet

— Trey Wallace (@TreyWallace_) June 10, 2024

On Monday, Vols LHP Zander Sechrist, who pitched 6.1 innings while allowing just one unearned run in Tennessee's win against Evansville on Sunday, joined 104.5 The Zone's 3HL and he was asked about Vitello's rant.

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"Well, me and (Dalton) Bargo were in the press conference room," said Sechrist. "We knew he wanted to get something off his chest, obviously, because he told us that in the team huddle. But then we're sitting there and he's still going and I thought we were sitting there for 20 minutes. I know it's only a seven minute speech, but sitting in that room with him talking like that, [it] felt like a 20 minute speech." 

"But he spoke his mind and that's why I love him as a coach," added Sechrist. "I came here, he recruited me. And I'm blessed to be able to play under a coach like that who speaks his mind about anything and isn't afraid of the consequences — even though there's not going to be any consequences for that. But I love V and I couldn't ask for a better coach."

I'm not sure how anyone couldn't be a fan of Vitello. The St Louis native is passionate, loyal, and genuine. He often speaks from the heart in a candid way that's impossible to not appreciate. 

It was obvious that Vitello's rant wasn't a prewritten or practiced speech — it was 100 percent organic. And that's why it resonated with so many folks — from players to fans to analysts. 

Tennessee is lucky to have Vitello. He doesn't just put elite baseball teams on the field on an annual basis, but he does it the right way — by always putting the players first. 

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