Jun 24, 2024; Omaha, NE, USA; Tennessee Volunteers assistant coach Josh Elander holds the national championship trophy with family after defeating the Texas A&M Aggies at Charles Schwab Field Omaha. Mandatory Credit: Dylan Widger-Imagn Images Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

Josh Elander Believes It's a 'Scary' Thought of Not Wearing the Tennessee 'Power T'

Originally posted on Tennessee Volunteers on SI
By Caleb Sisk | Last updated Oct 27, 2025 6:31 PM ET

The Tennessee Volunteers are set to have one of the better baseball teams in the nation yet again, but first they had to discuss all of the recent news surrounding the team that didn't go as planned. That being when Tony Vitello accepted the job to be the San Francisco Giants manager. This is the first time that a coach with zero experience professionally has jumped directly from the college scene and to the MLB as a manager and not some type of smaller role. Not to mention that he is the highest-paid first year MLB manager in the history of the league. This was big news for the former Vols coach, but when it comes to the remainder of what is to be offered for the Vols, they had no choice but to act fast in finding a new baseball coach.

They didn't have to search long before naming their head baseball coach, as the news released on Saturday (Vitello accepted the job on Wednesday) that they have found their new coach. That coach being a man that has been in the Tennessee system for quite some time. That man being Josh Elander. This was a moment that Tennessee players were hopeful for, and they erupted when it became true.

Here is what was said about the moment Elander found out he was getting the job.

Elander on Getting and Spreading the News

“It was all over the place. The way it went down with Tony. Again, we were so focused on the fall and getting better. I think we’ve always been trying to say, what is essential and what is not. How we focus on what’s important, and we’re in a very important period of the fall right now. The emotions were crazy. I think for all the staff, we have a genuine, rooted love for this university. And it was scary, just to be very honest with you. I want to be crystal clear: we’re all thrilled for Tony Vitello. What an amazing opportunity to do something that’s never been done before. His fingerprints will always be on this program. But to be able to earn the job and to be able to walk in and see these guys and that moment I had with them, I’ll never forget. Really, excited for the future but just grateful and thankful because when you’re looking at hey, maybe you’re not able to wear that Power T anymore, it’s a pretty scary feeling, to be honest.”

This article first appeared on Tennessee Volunteers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: