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Home » Articles » On Leadership: Plowman interviews Coach Vitello on Building Teams

On Leadership: Plowman interviews Coach Vitello on Building Teams

October 31, 2024

Coach Tony Vitello sits across from Chancellor Donde Plowman during an interview in Neyland Stadium.

Chancellor Donde Plowman sat down with UT Head Baseball Coach Tony Vitello to talk about his approach to leadership on and off the field. 

In his five seasons on Rocky Top Vitello has transformed his team from a struggling program to national champions by encouraging his players, coaches and staff to focus on their goals and the legacy they want to leave at UT. 

“In my role, one of the things I think I am supposed to be doing is helping the team remember what the long-term vision is,” he said. “There are some days where people don’t want to hear that. But at the end of the day, if you’re not doing it and if I’m not doing it, who is?” 

Vitello went on to talk about the importance of leaders setting an example for their teams, noting how others pay attention to actions rather than words alone.  

“When the messenger embodies what the message is, then it’s much more likely to be received,” Vitello said. “Show and tell is way better than talk, so if there’s a message, but also a vision and an example, I think it’s much more likely to be followed.” 

The full interview is available for viewing in the link below. 

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