It’s far too easy to overthink certain prizes. At least for this year, this is one of those honors.
Tony Vitello was named the winner of the American Baseball Coaches Association’s (ABCA) coach of the year award on Wednesday. Vitello’s Tennessee Vols defeated Texas A&M 6-5 on Monday night to capture the school’s inaugural College World Series championship.
The 2024 National Coaches of the Year in every collegiate and high school division are proudly announced by the ABCA and ATEC!
On January 3, 2025, a Friday, the ABCA will award the
Well, yes. That one is quite simple. Tennessee attained heights not seen in a program in decades. The Vols ended a perplexing trend by becoming the first #1 overall seed in the tournament to win the championship since the Miami Hurricanes in 1999. In addition, Tennessee became the first team to win the whole season with 60 wins, a feat last accomplished by Wichita State in 1989.
In any other year, there were undoubtedly a few more coaches that would have made excellent candidates. After a 53-win season, Texas’ new manager Jim Schlossnagle pulled the Aggies dangerously close to the edge. Schlossnagle made a dramatic U-turn the day after the Aggies lost to the Vols by joining his rival Longhorns from Texas A&M. Nick Mingione of Kentucky performed admirably for the Wildcats this season. After formally tying Tennessee for the SEC regular season championship, Kentucky secured the #2 overall seed and made its first-ever trip to Omaha.
But in terms of coaching, Tennessee’s outstanding season eclipsed all other contenders. Even though Christian Moore has repeatedly been denied personal accomplishments, honors, and recognition this year, it’s good to see Vitello acknowledged here.
Furthermore, Vitello’s name will probably appear on this trophy again given the way the Vols have been improving over the past four years.
