Tony Vitello has been hired as Tennessee's next head baseball coach, the Vols announced on Wednesday.

Vitello, a St. Louis, Mo., native, has been an assistant coach at Arkansas the last four seasons. He'll be introduced during a press conference on Friday, after agreeing to a five-year contract with the Vols worth $493,000 per year.

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Vitello, who replaces Dave Serrano, has previously coached at TCU and Missouri, his alma mater.

“We are thrilled to bring Coach Vitello’s passion for baseball, relationship building and student-athlete development into the Tennessee athletics family,” Tennessee athletic director John Currie said in a statement. “Proven experience evaluating and recruiting at the highest level and in the grind of the SEC was an absolute prerequisite, and Coach Vitello checks all the boxes."

Thrilled and excited to welcome our new @Vol_Baseball head coach, Tony Vitello, to the Tennessee Family! ???? pic.twitter.com/MtUhu4lMT5 — John Currie (@John_Currie) June 7, 2017

Vitello, 38, spent three years at TCU and seven at Missouri, where he got his college baseball coaching start as a volunteer assistant. He's been an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at each of his last three stops.

“This is as good of an opportunity as there is in the country,” Vitello said. “I consider myself incredibly blessed to be a part of the athletic department at the University of Tennessee. It’s the ultimate combination of an elite conference, a state school with great in-state players, a phenomenal city and outstanding tradition that exists not just with baseball, but across all sports.

“It’s no coincidence that it’s been a place where so many great coaches have been leaders in their sport. I want to work like crazy to uphold that standard.”

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