'It's not the number we're looking for' — Tony Vitello has a comment after historic draft for Tennessee that should have Vol fans feeling reassured

However, while some might nod their heads in approval, Tony Vitello sees a sense of discontent coming on in the weeks ahead, based on the sour way the 2025 season ended. 

"Right now, we're a little bitter about the end of last year," Vitello said. "Tonight, kind of erases that for a while. I think it'll be time to celebrate these kids and some of the other ones that will go tomorrow, but when August starts rolling around, I think we'll get back to that feeling we're not very happy that we got stuck on - 46 wins is a good number, but it's not the number we're looking for. 

"So, we'll be fired up about next year, but reflecting on the years prior, I think we've been able to capitalize on good ingredients. It's a phenomenal university, a phenomenal area. You know what Vol Nation is like, about as crazy as it gets, and I think we've always had good players on our campus dating back to Coach Delmonico's era. So, we've been able to capitalize on good ingredients and would like to do that even more so next year." 

It's hard to stay at the top of the mountain when you get there in any sport, but particularly one that's so hard to win like college baseball is, and how rare repeat champions are - it's happened twice this century (Oregon State 2006-07; South Carolina 2010-11). 

But Tennessee will try to do what LSU just did - spend a year watching someone win it after you did and then go back and rip the title back the following season.  And it sounds like Vitello watching someone else win it indeed has him and his staff motivated to get Tennessee back to Omaha and back on stage with the national championship trophy in their hands next June.