Photo Gallery Former MLB catcher Arencibia working with Vols View 5 Photos

KNOXVILLE — After spending six seasons behind the plate in Major League Baseball, J.P. Arencibia feels a little behind the curve with part of his new gig.

Tennessee's newest student coach is still learning the tricks associated with being in charge of posting pictures and videos to the baseball program's official Snapchat account.

"These guys know all these different filters," Arencibia said. "I'm vanilla in the sense that I'm going to shoot a video and put it on there and say something baseball-wise. The guys are still teaching me."

Just a year removed from announcing his retirement, the 32-year-old Arencibia still looks like he could add to the 80 home runs he hit during his MLB career. Instead, he has laid his bat, catcher's mitt and the pressures of the professional playing ranks aside to volunteer with the Volunteers as he completes his bachelor's degree in communications.

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Part of that new reality involves picking up a cellphone to launch a social media account for a college baseball team. It's a responsibility that seems logical enough for someone in his position — it's just that most student assistants didn't hit two home runs in their MLB debut or make millions of dollars at the game's highest level while catching All-Star pitchers such as Mark Buehrle and Yu Darvish.

But creating and running the Snapchat account was Arencibia's idea and something he wanted to do.

Arencibia left Tennessee after his junior season to become the 21st overall pick in the 2007 MLB draft, but now he is back and talking like a man who is willing to do anything and everything he can to help a program that hasn't been to an NCAA regional since his freshman season 13 years ago. The Vols made the College World Series that year but have languished since.

"I actually emotionally wear that and I care about it," Arencibia said. "When you go off and you play pros and you're in the clubhouses, there's a lot of pride with what university you played for. Obviously, there's a lot of SEC players in the major leagues. So that's a huge conversation."

Since retiring, Arencibia has dabbled in broadcasting — he has not ruled out a future in that profession — but his focus now is helping first-year Tennessee coach Tony Vitello change the direction of the program. Arencibia said he would love to work with the Vols full-time once his student coaching gig ends.

"My loyalty is to the University of Tennessee and will always be," Arencibia said, "and if I'm not coaching college at the University of Tennessee, then I don't want to be coaching in any college capacity."

Former Vols and Colorado Rockies star first baseman Todd Helton is entering his second year as Tennessee's director of player development, and he and Arencibia give the staff a combined 23 seasons of MLB experience to count on for free. The Vols open the season Feb. 16 against Maryland.

"Those two guys are impressive to have around," Vitello said. "It's great to get their autograph. But they really round out our staff well. We have a lot of different things that our kids can benefit from with our whole staff."

Helton's job description does not involve on-field instruction, but Arencibia is truly a student coach — he said he is re-learning the college game while contributing his expertise wherever and whenever asked. He referred to himself as "a floating coach."

"Everybody comes to me and kind of asks me questions, which is what I want," Arencibia said. "Because I've been there and done that, so right away guys give me a little bit more 'street cred' that they feel like they can come and ask me. As long as it's under Tony's plan, I'm completely OK with being able to help out. But I also do understand that this is Tony's program. I just want to be a vessel to help that."

Arencibia recalled deciding to attend Tennessee instead of turning pro when he was drafted in the 17th round out of high school. He credits that decision with helping him grow as a man and a baseball player.

"It happened in my three years here," he said. "I tell this to parents. I tell this to recruits. I came here as a 17th-rounder and a guy who could play a little bit of baseball. I left as a first-round pick and a guy who was ready for Major League Baseball. The reason why I wanted to come back is because this is such a special, instrumental point in my life as a human, as a player, just in general.

"If I can come back and affect somebody at that same part of their life, that's fulfillment to me."

Plenty still to learn about Snapchat. Much more to give in return.

Contact David Cobb at dcobb@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @DavidWCobb and on Facebook at facebook.com/volsupdate.