This piece originally appeared in our twice-weekly sports newsletter Section 415. Sign up for the newsletter here and subscribe to the Section 415 podcast wherever you listen.

Tony Vitello didn’t arrive at his introductory press conference at Oracle Park with a grand vision for the future.

He didn’t talk extensively about winning World Series titles, lay out big-picture plans to build his team around pitching and defense, or insist the Giants would play more fundamentally sound baseball. 

Instead, Vitello mostly talked about vibes. 

How will the former college coach handle the challenge of navigating the San Francisco Giants through a losing skid?

“I do think you’ve got to come to the office and vibe it out,” Vitello said. “I think some of those conversations are a lot easier when things are going good, and when they’re not, we’ll all work together.”

Vitello isn’t a pitching guru or a hitting mastermind. His calling card is a skill that can’t be quantified: connecting with people.

It’s why his new boss hired him.

“To me, that’s your secret sauce in everything, it’s the relationships you build,” Giants president of baseball operations Buster Posey said. 

For eight years, Vitello devoted his life to turning the University of Tennessee into a factory of positive vibes. Vitello warned on Thursday that “Twitter isn’t real life,” but clips of the Volunteers’ signature moments have spread well beyond the world of college baseball. 

There’s Drew Gilbert – a current Giants outfielder – launching his bat in the air and skipping around the bases (opens in new tab) after a walk-off home run in an NCAA Tournament. There are Tennessee hitters donning a leopard print fur coat (opens in new tab) and strutting through the dugout after crushing homers. Then there’s the now-iconic video of Vitello himself leaping into the stands (opens in new tab) and joining the crowd after the Volunteers won the 2024 College World Series. 

To the Giants’ new manager, none of this is possible without a team that feels connected.

“It’s important to have a group of guys who are willing to be there through thick and thin,” Vitello said. “It literally is a marriage for the course of the season.”

Relationships are so important to Vitello that he admitted he’s willing to hire assistant coaches who might be less qualified, but more likely to help build culture.

“To me, it doesn’t have to be the brightest and the best, the most experienced or the best resume,” Vitello said. “It needs to be the guy that’s going to have your back. And he’s also going to take the leap of faith or know that I or whoever else has their back.” 

Under Gabe Kapler, the Giants tried to be a cutting-edge team, focused on finding every marginal advantage. They prioritized platoon splits and analytics, often allowing advanced numbers to dictate decisions. 

Under Bob Melvin, the Giants emphasized a back-to-basics approach, believing that embracing discipline and fundamentals would allow a veteran-laden roster to flourish.

In the last four years, two different strategies led to the same outcome: mediocrity. 

The Giants’ struggles compelled Posey and general manager Zack Minasian (who suggested interviewing Vitello) to consider a candidate who doesn’t check many of baseball’s most traditional boxes. Vitello didn’t play in the majors, hasn’t coached in the majors, and had never even worked in the minor leagues before leaving Tennessee. 

But at the end of a 45-minute press conference, three different members of the Giants’ front office offered the same assessment when asked to share their candid thoughts of Vitello at the dais: “He’s a winner.”

And when you win, the vibes are off the charts.