Former Tennessee Vols baseball coach Tony Vitello’s transition to MLB was one of the most polarizing moves of the offseason.

Vitello, who was named as the new manager of the San Francisco Giants last October, is the first college coach to be hired as an MLB manager without previous big league experience.

Quite a few folks in baseball have publicly supported the move by the Giants, though not everyone is a fan of the move — such as former MLB manager Joe Maddon.

“I’m using the word insulting only from the perspective that it appears as though you don’t have to have any kind of experience on a professional level to do this job anymore,” said Maddon in November. “Because when I was coming up, you had to have all that. You had to go through the minor leagues, you had to ride the buses. I was a scout. I started in 1981. I finally get a managerial job in 2006. I mean, there was a rite of passage, a method to get to that point. So, to think that somebody could just jump in there and do what it took you twenty-some years to be considered qualified to do — it is kind of insulting.”

Philadelphia Phillies superstar first baseman Bryce Harper, who is still an elite baseball player despite what his general manager believes, made it clear during an appearance on Bussin with the Boys this week that he’s a fan of the Giants’ decision to hire Vitello.

Bryce Harper has long supported Tennessee baseball and Tony Vitello

Harper, who grew up in Las Vegas, has been spotted in Vols gear multiple times in recent years, so it’s not a surprise to hear that he’s a fan of Vitello’s move to MLB.

“Tony V is the man,” said Harper. “I think he’s going to do really good things up there. I think having a guy like that, just the way he coaches — he’s got a lot of Tennessee boys on that team, too — so it’ll be cool.”

“I think it’s one of the best hires around,” continued Harper. “I think (Giants President of Baseball Operations) Buster (Posey) did a great job. I mean, Buster wanted him. I think being able to have Buster as your president/GM, there’s nothing like it. I mean, Posey is one of the best to ever do it as well. I think the big thing for Tony was like, ‘Hey, I want to be able to come in and be myself. I don’t want to have to change, or I don’t want to have to listen to this guy or this guy.’

“And I think Buster was like, ‘No, we want you to be Tony V, because being Tony V is what’s got you here.’ His path in baseball has been incredible. For him to go into Tennessee and change around that program. Every time we play them, I hope we beat them, obviously, but I wish him all the success — just because of the person he is…he’s gonna be great for that organization.”

Harper won’t have to wait long to see Vitello in 2026 — the Phillies come to San Francisco for a three-game series starting on April 6.

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