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Just a quick question for y'all: is Vitello still considered the best coach in the SEC?

Posted on 6/23/25 at 12:24 am
Posted by magildachunks
Member since Oct 2006
34798 posts
Posted on 6/23/25 at 12:24 am
Just wondering
Posted by dchog
Pea Ridge
Member since Nov 2012
26661 posts
Posted on 6/23/25 at 12:29 am to
No.
Posted by Tarpon08
Cut Off, LA
Member since Dec 2014
7815 posts
Posted on 6/23/25 at 12:29 am to
Top 7 IMO:
Jay
Corbin
DVH
TonyV
AngrySully
Schloss
CalmSully
This post was edited on 6/23/25 at 12:32 am
Posted by LoveMy3thenLSU
Lafayette, Louisiana
Member since May 2019
202 posts
Posted on 6/23/25 at 12:41 am to
Nah I'll take Jay big Johnson
Posted by TigerBait2008
Boulder,CO
Member since Jun 2008
37612 posts
Posted on 6/23/25 at 1:18 am to
Never was..
Posted by rich4pres
Knoxville
Member since Dec 2016
10955 posts
Posted on 6/23/25 at 1:31 am to
Of course
Posted by themetalreb
Mississippi
Member since Sep 2018
6651 posts
Posted on 6/23/25 at 1:33 am to
So it’s neat how a Natty winning Coach doesn’t even make the list over a guy who’s never won a Natty. Just another reason baseball is total arse.
Posted by Champs
Geaux Tigers
Member since Feb 2008
12397 posts
Posted on 6/23/25 at 7:15 am to
Never was. But he did win one with a shite program, then again, they’re still a shite program
Posted by skrayper
21-0 Asterisk Drive
Member since Nov 2012
34134 posts
Posted on 6/23/25 at 7:21 am to
I mean, he took a historically irrelevant baseball team and won a national championship with them, along with 5 straight regional championships.

Jay Johnson is probably better, but Jay came into a program known for giving baseball a lot of attention and more resources than your average SEC school. It's hard to compare the two.

Posted by SofaKingTrill
Member since Mar 2008
8036 posts
Posted on 6/23/25 at 7:35 am to
quote:

So it’s neat how a Natty winning Coach doesn’t even make the list over a guy who’s never won a Natty. Just another reason baseball is total arse.


If Bianco were ever capable of sustaining a top tier program, he might be listed. Even the year Ole Miss won, they were team #64 of 64 entering the tourney. They just got hot. Nothing wrong with that, obviously. It's the best Ole Miss could hope for and their biggest accomplishment in half a century.

Ole Miss fans will always remember it. It just doesn't make you one of the best coaches in the SEC.
Posted by PineyWoodsHog
Texas
Member since Sep 2021
2937 posts
Posted on 6/23/25 at 8:23 am to
quote:

Top 7 IMO:
Jay
Corbin
DVH
TonyV
AngrySully
Schloss
CalmSully


This is the correct answer. But has anyone on here, outside of Tennessee fans, claimed TV was the best?
Posted by TigerLunatik
Baton Rouge, LA
Member since Jan 2005
103214 posts
Posted on 6/23/25 at 8:26 am to
Still? Was he ever the best coach?
Posted by FredbullTN
Houston
Member since Sep 2023
4508 posts
Posted on 6/23/25 at 8:51 am to
quote:

Jay Johnson is probably better, but Jay came into a program known for giving baseball a lot of attention and more resources than your average SEC school. It's hard to compare the two.


Tony V came in and created this fake tough guy idea and recruited meatheads that could get behind it. Pair that with a joke of a field and you have what Tony has “built”.

At the end of the day CJJ took over a program that had freaking Ma’Khail Hilliard as the Friday night “ace” his first year and in 4 years has won two titles.

They don’t even belong in the same conversation
Posted by hashtag
Comfy, AF
Member since Aug 2005
32487 posts
Posted on 6/23/25 at 9:10 am to
quote:

Jay came into a program known for giving baseball a lot of attention and more resources than your average SEC school. It's hard to compare the two.

I agree. Vitello hasn't brought 2 different teams to the CWS (4 trips total) and been in the CWS Championship Series 3 times. Not really comparable.

ETA: I do think Vitello will probably win another CWS if not more than 2. He has Tennessee playing at a high level when they aren't playing Arkansas.
This post was edited on 6/23/25 at 9:12 am
Posted by Froman
Baton Rouge
Member since Jun 2007
38573 posts
Posted on 6/23/25 at 9:11 am to
He never was.
Posted by Tiger2tiga
Member since Sep 2023
1140 posts
Posted on 6/23/25 at 9:14 am to
Would you consider Ed oregeron or les miles one of the best coaches just bc they won a natty?
Posted by The Baker
This is fine.
Member since Dec 2011
18616 posts
Posted on 6/23/25 at 9:47 am to
quote:

came into a program known for giving baseball a lot of attention and more resources than your average SEC school.

Kinda like Saban
Posted by ibldprplgld
Member since Feb 2008
26866 posts
Posted on 6/23/25 at 10:01 am to
quote:

Jay Johnson is probably better, but Jay came into a program known for giving baseball a lot of attention and more resources than your average SEC school. It's hard to compare the two.


So are we to apply that same standard to all programs?

Do we discount national title winning coaches in some sports because some schools and fanbases would sell their firstborn for a natty in said sport?
Posted by VFL67
Member since Feb 2025
985 posts
Posted on 6/23/25 at 10:05 am to
I think they are a 1a and 1b sorta thing with every year it’s changing. Vitello came in and built a great program with no head coaching experience and possibly the least baseball buy in of any SEC program. JJ has come in and won instantly but was given the tools much sooner and greater than Tony was. Last year Tony was the best, this year JJ is the best. Both are younger than 50 so could see these guys around for a long time. As a fan I’m looking forward to the continued SEC dominance with the top 10 coaches in baseball possibly all coming from the same conference
Posted by skrayper
21-0 Asterisk Drive
Member since Nov 2012
34134 posts
Posted on 6/23/25 at 10:41 am to
quote:

So are we to apply that same standard to all programs?

Do we discount national title winning coaches in some sports because some schools and fanbases would sell their firstborn for a natty in said sport?


Who said anything about "discounting national titles"?

The argument is "who is the better coach".

Vitello had a bigger rebuilding job to do at a program that hadn't been relevant in the sport since 2005 (and had 6 losing seasons during that stretch).

Johnson took over a team that had been in the Super Regional in the two full seasons (2019 and 2021) prior to his arrival.

I'm not saying Vitello is better than Johnson (and I even state that Johnson is PROBABLY BETTER) in the very sentence you quote, but if you want an actual discussion on who the better coach is, it stands to reason that you want to look at all the factors.

Like when debating who's the best SEC coach ever in football, an easy choice is Nick Saban, but one could argue Spurrier took over the more middling program (not a complete dumpster fire, but Florida had not won more than 7 games in several years by the time he took over).
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