Bussin' With The Boys - Spring Tour: Tony Vitello (Tennessee Baseball)

Episode Date: April 18, 2022

Recorded: April 13, 2022 | Tennessee head baseball coach Tony Vitello joins the bus for an absolute banger of an interview. Vitello is one of the biggest names in college baseball right now and you'll find out exactly why in this interview. ----- SHOP: https://store.barstoolsports.com/collections/bussin-with-the-boys FOLLOW THE BOYS Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bussinwtb Twitter: https://twitter.com/BussinWTB Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BussinWTB Website: https://www.bussinwtb.com ----- SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS: Chevy: Chevy Silverado - The Strongest, Most Advanced Silverado Ever. Duke Cannon Supply Co. Georgia BootFor more, visit barstool.link/bussinwtbSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Listen to Sports Slice on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Slic Life 12 in the TikTok podcast network on TikTok. Welcome back to another episode of the Bustin Spring Football Tour. I know we've been talking about football, spring ball, but coming to the University of Tennessee, we had to get on the juggernaut. We had to get on coach Vitello. Tony Vitello.

I feel like this most Italian name ever. Yeah, yeah. Young Gun. I mean, look at him. He's handsome. Before we get into, before we sit here and melting our couches, this thing is brought to you by the Chevy Silverado, the hardest working truck. on the planet, dependable, durable, just like the people who drive them.

You and Coach V. But we had to get the baseball guys on. You guys are crushing it. I hate that you guys just lost one last night because you guys were on an 11-game win streak. You're 30-and-2 now? 31-2. 31-2. And Jack is a huge Tennessee guy.

Yeah, went to school here. Yeah, and everybody's been talking about Tennessee baseball, and I'm on my phone last night, late at night scrolling, seeing all your guys' highlights and everything else. and Coach Eklers giving me a background on you guys. You guys are kind of like the Detroit Pistons, the bad boys of SEC baseball, college baseball. Would you agree?

Yeah, would you agree with that? Is that fair to say? Is that a good assessment? I mean, I kind of like that now at this age. I grew up, my old man's from Chicago, so I grew up a Bulls fan, and I hated the Pistons. But I think if you're a competitor, that's kind of the way it should be. You should love the guy if he's on your team or you should love your team if they're yours.

And then you want to be hated if, you know, if you walk into an opponent's building, you don't want them to like you because that means they're thinking easy victory. Yeah. Yeah, but baseball in a lot of ways, like you don't see guys hitting grand slams and going halfway to first base. Talking shit, they're talking shit. And then throwing that shit in the air like it's fucking nothing.

Like you, hey, did you walk into the team meeting room one day and go, hey, here's a deal. Fuck these guys, all of them. It's just us. No. No, I mean, I do think we've got a certain attitude about us, but you have to in order to survive in our league. The SEC people, man. Sorry.

Any Power 5 league. No, stop. But then we had a non-power 5 team put it on us last night. So, no, again, at the end of the day, it's all about competition, and you've got to be who you are. And that guy in particular, you're speaking of as one of our team leaders. And he's just very unique. He's a gentleman off the field, and he's an assassin on the field. And sometimes I do my best to control him, but sometimes I can't.

What's his name? Yes. Drew Gilbert. He's a fan favorite. And, again, anyone that's got to know him as a person. would love him, but immediately when we go into another place, we're in Oxford, Mississippi recently, and it took their fans about two outs in the first inning, and he was just on deck to understand that he's not the one to like. But, you know, our guys do got a little bit

away about them that, you know, again, if you're cheering for us, I think you enjoy, and if not, you may question it, but I don't think anyone ever goes over the line to do something disrespectful to the opponent. It's just, in baseball, you've got to be a personality. If you look at, like, the most fun team since we've been alive, Like the Phillies back in the John Crook era, Darren Dalton and those guys and the Red Sox when Malar was on their team. I mean, it's long days as a baseball player. You got to have some stuff going on in the locker room to bring you together and also keep you entertained during all those hours. So this is your fifth season with the volunteers.

Is this like something that's kind of built over time or is it for whatever reason this year? No. It's kind of just big you guys have become like the bad boys of the SEC. No, I think last year, without last year's team, this year's team is not having the same. success they are. And then if you go back to our first year, our pitching coach and I were joking about how we're just starving for any win possible. And that's how we were handling our pitching was just one day at a time. We just need as many wins. So it's been, you know, without going into the whole long story, it's been a gradual deal. And I'll tell you what, when the fans got on board and you know how

crazy our fans are, that's what kind of helped catapult this whole thing. I think what's cool, too, is like you guys, it's clear about your gut, you guys having fun. Like you said, if you're an outsider and you don't cheer for Tennessee, you might question it or whatever. But baseball, for the most part, is a very uniformed-up sport and knowing that you have a team like you do, having the fun and bringing out their personalities and having their unique style about them. And then you have a young coach like yourself who kind of embraces it, the whole

my-concho story, the whole Mike Concho bit is hilarious. Is that something you're conscious of? You kind of just let it fly and tell the boys like, hey, we're going out of here to have fun, who gives a shit, like the opinions that are. out there about the sport of baseball. It's kind of like you guys are bringing a flavor to the game. Yeah, I think that's something you try and set the tone from day one and manage what you think your culture is kind of overused word, but what your style or brand name is going to be. And when we first got here, Tennessee's had great players for quite a while. I mean,

Nixon Zell was the second pick in the draft before we got here. I mean, they've had talent, but they hadn't had kind of a flavor that Arkansas, where I came from, you could stereotype their baseball team. And again, we talked about Mississippi or Vanderbilt. And now I think we've kind of created our own brand name. And along the way, I've kind of felt like we introduced some ideas to them. They've run with it. And now we just got to make sure that fire done burn too bright. Sometimes those boys get a little out of control.

And again, there is a line to walk. What's the right way to do it and what's not? My question is, why is there a line to walk? Why not just ride this thing in the sunset, you know what I'm saying? Grab the chariots. Be like Icarus, dude. Go to the sun. Sure.

Well, you know, we're televised here. And you fellows are popular. So you got to make sure you don't say the wrong thing too many times. But no, it's in between the lines, to be fair, what you're saying, there are no rules. So I know in baseball, yeah. I mean, there's different versions in football and baseball. If somebody bunts when they're winning up by six runs or someone throws inside, I mean, where's the rules? You're between the lines and it's killer be killed.

And then at the end of the day, kind of like UFC guys do when they dab each other up, it's like, how the hell are they doing? They just try to kill each other. but it's a mutual respect for, you know, hey, what just went on here? There was something pure there and almost kind of primal that we are getting, you know, getting into it, and now it's over with. When you say, like, Bunny, when you're up six runs, like, what are some of the, like, unspoken rules of baseball as you just don't do that maybe you guys do? Yeah, that's what's interesting. You know, like you said, why is there a line?

They're unwritten, so there is no actual book. So it's kind of all. It's the gentleman's game part. Yeah, it's kind of all up to perception. and, you know, I don't think, you know, you want to be sending guys from second base on a borderline call to score if you're already up 10, 12 runs. I think it's just, you know, not putting the pedal of the medal too much if it's, you know, a big lead for our team. But, you know, otherwise, you know, it's like Batista hits that Homer against the Rangers and throws his bat. If you don't want him to throw his bat, then don't give up a home run, you know.

If you had a ball that far in that situation, to me, you can do whatever you want. And if you're the opponent and you don't like it, then do something about it. Well, they do do something about it. The next time he's up at bat, next time we guys play. A little chin music. He catches a little chin music, one in the ribs real quick. When is the time, do you, in baseball, is it like that in college baseball? Do you guys kind of give them the, hey, this dude's been talking?

No, no. Give him one. No, it really doesn't go on at our level. I mean, I saw one of our Juko commits. I went down and watched him, and he actually hit a kid in the helmet, and the first base coach yelled what the, I think I can say whatever. Yeah, what the fuck are you doing? and he basically stormed onto the field, and, you know, the kid just had one get away.

I mean, these guys, that's just not a part of our game as much now. I think in the big leagues maybe a little bit. You saw Lindor get hit in the head, but I really don't feel like there was intent there. There's too much money involved. Plus, nowadays, instead of like George Brett playing for the Royals his whole career, you might get traded the next day and be on that guy's team that you just threw at. So, you know. Hey, that's a wild.

I know, right. The trades are crazy. Like in football, I don't know when the trades are, but when football, like week eight, by week eight, you can't trade anybody anymore. How's it work in baseball? No, it's deeper into the year in baseball. And two, when you come up through the minor leagues, you might have played with all these guys because there's a bunch of trades that may go on throughout a guy's career, just trying

to make it up, you know, through the ranks. And then two, now all these guys like Bryce Harper, first time I ever saw him was at the area code games. It's where all the best players go. Well, they all become buddies. and especially on social media now too. So as intense and competitive is, as much money as there is out there,

I think at the end of the day, all these guys are kind of buddies. I mean, Drew Gilbert, again, maybe the most hated or the villain leader of our team. Yeah, trust me, you would. But he played on Team USA. So there's the best player from Florida,

the best player from Georgia, and they all get to know them, and they all like him, you know. The Mike Concho bit. Is that something that was premeditated? Did you just watch Tal Deakin Nights recently? No. Or was that just off the time?

Top and you're having fun. No, I need to watch Talladega nights soon. Oh, you haven't seen Talladega nights? No, I've seen a plenty. I feel it's proper to visualize or see that every month or so, you know. Yeah. That's fair. I haven't met my quote.

You get your staples. Yeah. But those in-game interviews, like, I can't believe like a guy like Sabin, like the halftime interview or right before kickoff, but I know they have to do it. But it's cool when you're watching on TV, but when you have to do it in the dugout and like your guys are hitting or pitching, it's pretty. it's distracting um and so i had a lot of emotions boiling in my body and that was just kind of what came out i say a lot of dumb things sometimes because you got the italian temper going um you got that

you got a italian temper yeah i'm italian you know i got anger issues yeah it's it's a good it's a good alibi but uh no nothing premeditated just uh question and chris burke who was a legendary player here works for ESPN. He was the one conducting the interview and I just have a level of comfort with him. So it's kind of like us sitting here. Say the F word. I mean, that's my first F word I think with me to have kind of feels good. Let's go. You just start letting him fly now. You know what I'm saying? I'm a town network. Exactly. It's an excuse. Yeah. What he's doing? You know, all the stereotypical things. He just hit them all. He's just disrespecting. He can't help, but he's Italian. Yeah. We'll pioneer

that for you. You got it. You got it. Anytime you have an interview, we'll pioneer that for. Hey, nobody get mad at him. He's fucking Italian. We'll just redo your interview and just what fuck where you should have. I appreciate that. If you do a little history, you probably need to pass some things up between a fast food restaurant and myself. Yeah.

What is that? Like, you dive into that. Well, you know, it was after a game and my stomach was in knots, kind of like you, you know, would be if you ate it up. You can pick whichever one you want. I, you know, and I said that out loud, and they happen to be one of our sponsors. So that they go over. Oh. So you don't want to say the name because of you.

No, no. No, I've already written an apology notes. Is it rhyme with me? No, I want to say. It's Raising Cains? Not at all. Our guys love Cains right up the road. Are we able to say who?

We can leave it at that for now. Yeah, that is a smart move. He already apologized, so we already backpedal. He's got to stay true. I got to find a way to make up with last night's umpire. So that's on my to-do list. We're going to, I don't need any more. Do you see them pretty frequently the same ones?

Oh, yeah, you do. It's got to be tough. No, it is. And you'd like to think, like, hey, man, when you're in your, you know, garb you're wearing or whatever, and I'm in uniform were these characters. And then outside, like, I don't really care. I don't know how you guys were as teammates. But, you know, sometimes it's hard to differentiate.

Maybe you don't respect a teammate as much. But off the field, you know, he's a civilian or he's just a dude, you know. Yeah, I love that. Maybe he's a civilian. Yeah. I tell you what, he's got the Italian in him. He reminds me, like, Coach Bo, he kind of blacks. out as he's out there coaching.

I don't know if you're familiar with Coach Bo Pellini. Very. Very. You guys probably running the same, you know, mob ties and stuff like that. I didn't know where I was going with that. No, that's a beautiful. I do want to know a little bit something about you were bringing up Bontair, Missouri where you went to school?

Yeah. Before this. I want to hear a little about that. He goes, you went to North County, and I'm like, how in the fuck do you know about North County? And then you're like, stop, save it. Well, I'm from St. Louis. And so the big thing there, right or wrong, is where did you go to high school?

That's the first question everybody asks someone in high school. So I know where you guys went. And because of recruiting rules, I can't speak too much about your high school. Oh, we got some studs out there. Very good relationship there with their best player. Why? Okay, you can't speak too much about his school because of what kind of rules? I can see the school, right? If a kid commits but he's not signed, you can't say anything.

But I can say it. So there's a kid who's committed at the said school, but we can't say the school. Can I say the school? I went to the school. You can say your school for sure. I can say Sheparell High School. Okay. Yeah, yeah.

Hey, that's a little baseball school. We just can't say, hey, is he from Sheperel High School? They got some studs out there. Well, he can't say Shepard High School. He can't, and we can't even ask that. We just say, we're just saying what your school is. We can't talk about it. But you went to Sheparell.

I went to Sheperel. Got you. Outstanding school. A lot of good players out of that place. A lot of good players in that area. Arizona baseball is solid. Oh, yeah. It's a nice deal out there.

So, Ian, I coached at University of Missouri. Ian Kinsler was on the first team that I coached. What years? At Missouri. 99-02 as a player, and then I was there until 11 as a coach. Were you there with a... That's why we were going to bring up a... You asked coach hype a recruiting story.

He doesn't know. You said his name. I wasn't going to say his name. I was going to go fast food restaurant. We can bleep that out, too. The reason we bleep it out, here's why. So his dad, I'm very familiar. I'm very familiar with that family.

His dad was my foot. coach growing up. He was a stud player in high school. I'm sure, like, obviously he went and pitched at Mizzou. But basically, I was like in fourth, fifth, sixth grade, just terrorizing the fields of Bontan, Missouri. I mean, I was a savage. And every Friday, or if it was a Saturday day game, his dad would take me, he would drive a couple of us players to go watch them play, North County play, because North County was a good football team too. But he was like that dude in high school or believe was that that dude in high school there's a so now that that's what you said miss when you say he was that dude in high school like as a player or was he like slaying what we

talking about here as an athlete he's a good football player good baseball player probably slayed too smaller two could sling it like you wouldn't think he could sling it like have a fastball and stuff because he's not tall and linky and all that but he was just a stud and stud person and he had like he had a story that we can yeah i mean you ask coach hype about a recruiting story i was fortunate to be listening in. And I immediately thought, because you were the one asking the question, well, I got a recruiting story for you. Because I'm really young. I had begged the coach to let me be the volunteer coach, you know, just unpaid coach. And after a year, our recruiting coordinator leaves. And I eventually get the job at a really young age, don't know what I'm doing. And I take the

baton from him from this kid who are recruiting. He's like, the first thing you need to do is kind of finish the task getting this guy committed. So I, I, I don't want to say he's the first player I recruited because I don't want that label, but he went to that high school, North County. You're the one saying his name. So he was a part of... Just pointing out of what... You're the one saying his name.

He was a part of the first recruiting class we ever had, along with Max Scher and some others. Stud. The Soto? Yeah, Max and... Max actually threw a combined no-hitter against Texas Tech. The only problem is, later in the year, stabbed a guy.

Oh, shit. Hey, that was a twist. I didn't see. And like no shit stabbed the guy. Well, it was he convicted? Like a good slider and like, hey, I stabbed him. It's a baseball term.

With a knife. He used a foreign object. And he stabbed a guy. Trying to take a life. Oh, for you. At like a house party, right? Yes, out in the lawn. Fortunately, I wasn't there.

I was still a young. And that was a monster. That was a monster deal because, again, I'm close with that family. Like, this player that we're talking about, I, like, his dad would say, hey, uh, he would say

hang with Will for a day take me along with him I'm a younger cat looking up to this dude so when this all happened I'm thinking holy shit when he stabbed the guy you're like maybe I got to stab a guy

yeah if I'm around if I yeah I'm saying if I'm around him in high school I'm like as a young kid I'm wanting to think oh he's like an older brother type guy to where I can fit in

and hang around everybody else okay so he was at a house party and he stabbed somebody yeah there was an altercation the person did not die no they did not and the altercation was over a girl I think so

You got to assume. I can't remember. Like, it's kind of getting away from me. It was late night and there's beverages. It was one of those deals where this is the main house party, but there's kind of some offset ones, you know, where you cross the street. And so there was some sort of back and forth between a house. But I'll tell you what, that's a tragic deal.

Fortunately, the person didn't die. We're at University of Texas. And we get a big third out and our guys are hooting and hollering out of the dugout. And it kind of gets quiet for a second. And some old fan for Texas goes, which one of you boys down there stabbed that? That poor kid. No way.

And he's sitting on the bench? Or he's there in the dugout? At this point, he had been excused from this. Later in the year. He was excused. He was pulled out of it. His ass was pulled out of there. Correct.

Which one? That poor boy. And it was comedy in a weird way. Yeah. Yeah. Like the Joker comedy, for sure. That's wild. Hey, that's fucking crazy.

But so did he get convicted? Is he in jail now? No, no, no. Oh, he's just, he's walking among us. Charges were dropped. Charges were dropped. Oh, so he really didn't stab somebody. No.

Allegedly. Clean, clean. Just for the story. Just like O.J. O.J. never stabbed anybody. Yeah, he's having a good old time right now. Yeah.

And I'll tell you, he's a stud. I'm talking, engineer. It's very smart. I mean, he's recruited him. He got away with almost murder. Yeah, he's very smart. Yeah, for sure.

He did. Allegedly. He didn't murder anybody. What a fucking story, man. Did you recruit Aaron Blunt? Yeah. He was a stud, too. Did he stab somebody?

He stabbed somebody? No, no, no, no. No, he's established in his career. He was a left. He was one of those cats. He was a lefty, lanky, was a stud, but just didn't, one of those dudes that's like he had a huge opportunity, and he was like a, he was like a too cool of a guy, like went too hard, partied way too hard, way too much.

It didn't really pan out. You should get me that information ahead of time. I would have, if you would have recruited me to play baseball at Mizzou. Apologies. No, I mean, I played baseball growing up, but I wasn't at this level that there, I mean, I wasn't a D-1 baseball player. It worked out pretty well for you. Yeah, yeah.

I chose the right sport. We played at the old Nebraska. baseball stadium. The last year was there. It was a piece of crap. I mean, it was right next to the football stadium. Yeah. And we pulled into the parking lot and we were able to sneak in. We were waiting for the coaches to meet. Coach Dave Van Horn's a legend. He was there at the time. I worked for him at

Arkansas. And we're waiting on the coaches to decide if we're going to play or not in the rain. And we snuck into the football stadium and played, we had an empty soda bottle. And we played like a kind of, I mean, we wanted to play in that place. The history was insane. Oh, yeah. Especially for guys at our age level. Dude, what a small world. What a small world. Talking just, I'm just, yeah, Bonte, Missouri.

The place to be. Man, I wish Aaron would have been a, he was a stud. Now I'm just right. Yeah, he was awesome. I just feel like, in my opinion, he'd probably party too hard. You might know more once he got to college, but he was just a study. He was like an All-American in high school. He could sling it, bro.

He could hit. He could do all this stuff. Lefty. So you know he had movement on the ball. You know all the language. I don't know all the language, but had some. I don't know. It's interesting.

A lot of guys, you know, maybe follow the Tom Brady method and never eat a carb or any of that thing. But I got to believe. Is this how it works on with the voice? Tom Brady moment? Yeah, when Tom Brady comes on, we have to take a little. Yeah, we take a moment of silence. You got to be able to manage that deal. I mean, you got to be able to have fun, but you also got to be able to handle business.

Yeah. It's been interesting coaching some guys that maybe can't do both and other guys, you know, or good at keeping everything organized. Handling it? Yeah. Now, can you usually tell, when you're in a recruiting process and you hear things about kids, like, oh, hey, this kid likes to get after it a little bit. Does that worry you? Or are you kind of like, I just got to make sure I keep an eye on this kid once he gets here? Yeah, no, I don't mind using the kid's name. Nick Schmidt was a kid from St. Louis. And every time I called him, he was at a part, like, maybe it was just a basement with 12. But there was always girls and guys in the background. And he was kind of that personality. It was my first year coach, and I was young. And he walked by me at the field. And I'm supposed to be the coach, Coach Fitello, and he's the recruit. And he smacked me on. ass is like what's up coach v oh yeah so hey imagine having that kind of confidence with the coach i know dude so we passed on nick smit because of that or i did he was a first touch your butt well just the

whole part he was a what he was a first rounder oh he had that swag dude he had that swag but but i was accurate in my read he went to arkansas and a guy named dave jorn was a pitching coach and he had a kind of heart to heart with him and basically kind of saved the kid's soul a little like i don't think became, you know, where he never had another beer or anything, but really kind of got a more. So I was kind of accurate in my read and he went to the right place. A lot of times with recruiting, it's about in and up at the spot that was meant for you to be at, not necessarily the best place in the world. Whatever helps you sleep for missing on that first round. He ain't the only one. Yeah. No doubt. That's a wild deal. As far as atmosphere goes, I've been, I've only been to one college

baseball game. That was an LSU. Fenomenal time. I think I'm a big LSU fan because of that. the atmosphere like here. If Stan's packed, people get after it? It's bananas. I mean, it's a hornet's nest over there. I think a lot of it has to do with our field. You see where we're at. We're kind of landlocked.

So everything's real close and quaint, if you want to call it that. And then our fan base, you can stereotype LSU's fan base is going to tailgate and they're going to do this and that and they're going to have crawfish. Yeah, Cajuns do it a little different. They have that open container law. They're allowed to do whatever they want. Yeah, for sure. And I think each team in our league has phenomenal fans,

but they're all, again, you could kind of describe them in four or five words and be fairly accurate. And our fans are just rambunctious, maybe more than anybody in the league. I mean, you guys were talking about the game against Mississippi. Did you love that? You're not a football coach, so you can kind of. Yeah. He's got to tow the line a little bit more. Are you watching and you're like, you're free to say whatever you want.

Okay, I'm going to. Go ahead, let it rip. The most deadly words. Yeah, we won't tell nobody. Don't worry. He'll just be canceled. in the morning. Yeah.

Okay. A couple days, couple days. Here's what I was thinking when you guys talked about it with Coach I. I don't think anyone in the world wants objects thrown

at another individual because you never know what crazy thing could happen. But you could see where the fans' frustration came from if you were watching. So they acted, you know, a little bit out of line or they acted out of line,

bottom line. Here's what I'll say about ball fans. If the referees at any point, and again, I don't coach football, I don't know who those guys were so you can't sue me or this is. That's right. This is clean.

It's in the sponsor. Yeah. All I had to say was the next thing that's thrown on this field were penalized in Tennessee 15 yards and no one would have moved an inch. That's how our fans are. Yeah, but what about Mississippi fans that might be there? I'd be like, oh, easy. That is a good point.

That's true, but I think they're going to get a haymaker thrown to the jaw if they throw something and they next to the Tennessee. Volunteer fans really like that. Hey, that's that Italian in them. Yeah. It's going to get a haymaker to the fucking jaw. Baseball bat to the knees. Horse head in their bed type mentality, you know what I'm saying?

That was my take on. I mean, there's always a counter argument, but that would have been my perfect solution to calm me down our fans because they're rowdy, but they don't want to hurt our team, I can tell you that. Yeah, volunteer fans roll deep.

They were a part of this thing with Barstool. It's like if your seed makes it into the Sweet 16 in basketball, that you get a certain amount of money. And we were playing, Michigan was playing Tennessee, and Michigan beat Tennessee to go into the Sweet 16. And I tweeted something like the haters are sick right now with Juan Howard slapping the tea,

I caught fucking hands via Twitter. I was catching hands left in right now. I was biting the hand that fed me because obviously a lot of Alton-Tier fans are Tennessee Titan fans, but they go hard in the paint where I almost had to issue like an apology. Like, hey, listen, you guys roll deep like that.

It's impressive. A formal apology. Formal. Like he's with the sponsor. Yeah. I think better than the apology is just wearing that hat. That's a classic hat. Isn't it nice?

It's big time. I was at, what was it, Pete's? We were at Pete's Diamond. No free shout out to Pete's. But also shout out of pizza. Yeah, also great food at Pete's. And this kid, he asked for a photo, and I was like, I love your hat. He's like, thanks.

And I said, I'll give you $100 for that hat. And he said, yep. And it was maybe the best purchase of her made. Like that. He took it off his head. I readjusted the hat because the boys got a bit of a dome. Smack that thing on top. And it's been smooth sailing with this hat ever since, other than hijacking a couple of your questions.

As far as when stadiums go, what's in the SEC, take the volunteers out of it. What's the most hype place? place to play. Well, Arkansas is where I worked before I came here. And their fans are like Cardinal fans. Just they know the game well. They're really into it. St. Louis is really getting lots of shoutouts right now. Yeah. It's a massive, massive stadium. But really, I mean, there's other, there's other towns that could throw out arguments. Starkville probably has the second or the first, you know, nicest stadium. And then Oxford where we just played, I mean, it's not normal to go in there and win. And Lane Kiffin comes and throws out the golf ball and they're going crazy.

That's hilarious, by the way. It was a good chirp. It's a solid shirt. Yeah, I think he took some heat for that, but I think it was all in good fun. Right. Seems like he's always catching hands via social media. Because he's not scared. Which you got to respect.

I respect that. It's one of the reasons he's a good coach. I mean, you know, he's on the edge at all times. And I guess if you're not, you're taking up too much space. Should we do the Dukannon question of the day? Home run code. Okay, so what is the home run code? Fan question for.

from Jack McPherson. Shout-out, Jack. No free shout-outs. Coach Eccler. What's the question, Jack? It's coming from Jack. It's coming from Jack. Sorry, Coach. Home run, Cove. Yeah. Coat. Coat. Well, last year of the end up stupid. Last year, the guys, you know, it all started with the Rangers. I think with Josh Hamilton's on their team, if they hit a double, they would kind of do a sign. And now all of a sudden... Gang sign? I don't think it was a gang sign. It was more of just a gesture. Got you. And ever since then, if you hit a double, you got to do something. And then it turns into Batista's, you know, bat flip, and now everyone's got to do something when they had a home

run, it seems like. So our guys came up with a hat they would wear, which became really popular. The fans wanted to see it stay. This team wanted to be kind of their own team, have their own identity. So they carried over the hat theme, but added on to it by having this fur or mink. I've never even touched it. It's got to be nasty by now. But it's a coat. There could be a woman's or a man's coat, you know, that you would wear in a 70s gangster party. Yeah. And they throw it on the guy who hit the home run when he does. So he kind of looks, you know, pimped out or whatever you'll say. And they love it.

I think the fans like it. You see little kids wearing these, you know, mocked up coats now. Dude, that is awesome. Yeah, it's something that's unique to their team and the fans have caught on. And again, if opponents got things they do when they celebrate nowadays, if you're wasting energy on that, you're wasting energy. What's the, what's the hat say? Daddy hat. Daddy hat.

Daddy hat. Oh, you got a daddy hat. Yeah. Oh, it's not. There you go. Right there. Yeah. bought this of a guy for $100, too, actually.

You're going to be out of money. Well, they print more every day, Coach. They print more every single day. That's true. We're out here hunting. I'd like to know what that kid's going to do with his hunter bones he gave him this morning. I think Jack. It'll be going to be blown tonight.

No question. Blown tonight. Hold it up. He literally, he was so stoked to meet. And he's like, hey, dude, I love the hat. Can I bought off you? And he was like, sure, he's, I'll give you $100. He's like, okay.

And that was it. There was no bargaining at all. Transaction made. Zero bargaining. I really feel like I could have got away with $1. 50, but then I had to ask for change and he didn't got it. And it's like, it becomes a whole deal. Okay, big flex.

Ask for change. Well, yeah, if it's 50, I've only got hundreds on me. Yeah, I mean, that's the flex. You know what I mean? Yeah, I could have two twins. He's like, what do you mean? Yeah. Last question of the day brought to us by Duke.

I actually have a question too, but go ahead. Last segment of the day. Last segment of the day brought to us by Duke Cannon, not for clowns. We have an insane NIL deal for you. Insane. We're going to bust with the boys of sponsoring you with Duke Cannon. Deodorant, you're looking at it right now, the dry ice. And I'm not shitting you.

You put that on your pits. It's like a cool little breeze mist throughout the entire day. If you're wondering how this smells, it smells how you look. Fantastic. Yes, there you go. That's exactly what this stuff smells like. Going off of your recruiting stories, obviously it's hard to top the stabbing one. But what else?

You were telling us about a kid getting mugged when you're on a recruiting trip. Do you have something in the bank that you like to tell outside of what we've already discussed? Yeah, that was a coach one where we sent him to get a gatorade and he never came back. Poor fella. You know, where were you preface? Where were we at? We were at the same place. Coach Heibel said he was at. I think Coach I've said University of Houston. We won't ask him. He said, I think he said, Houston. He was in a bad area of Houston.

I got buddies that work there. Actually, that gas station's no longer there in the area has been renovated. It's gentrified. Yeah, yeah. So this is a while back. But no, no, recruiting in general is wild. I wish I had one that really, really stuck out. I know, you know, for me, it's always interesting when you get the. kids on campus and they're walking around and then, you know, they go off with the guys. And then the next morning you see who maybe hung out with the guys a little too late at night. And I've been a part of some morning meetings where guys can't stay awake. But nothing sticks out too crazy or where I'd want to throw anyone under the bus.

Although Mr. Scher, I was not a full-time coach when I took him around on his official visit. So you were having a little, it was half fun, half coach. Yeah. And so you guys went to Pete's diner. We went to the diner in Columbia, Missouri, which is just the diner. Yeah. And that is the spot to be. And that's the place that sealed a deal for arguably the best pitcher in the world.

Sealed the deal because of the night you guys had? Yeah, we did have a good one. You got after it a little bit? Yeah. Strippers and cocaine type of vibe or? Holy shit. No. Is that, was that inappropriate?

I don't know. Not, no. It would have been inappropriate. Taylor's kind of nights, but sure. I hate strippers. It would have been inappropriate. They make me so uncomfortable. I've ever been in a strip club.

It's like, do you want to dance? And it's like, not really. You're raping me for a dollar. Dude, it's like, hey, oh, you're so cute. It's like, okay, maybe, but like, leave me a lot. It's just, I feel like, I feel like it's when a man comes on too strong to a woman at a bar. It's the same thing. It's like, please, let me breathe.

You know, let me work for it a little bit type of deal. Anyway, strippers, am I right? My question. Very glittery. For a college world series, what would you do? to bring that to the Tennessee volunteers. What lengths would you go to? I don't know if I do what Coach Vrable did,

although I'm a, I've really liked watching him as a player. He's a little too intense, so I don't want to cut off any appendages that I'd like to maybe use one day. Is Vrable Italian? He's got dark hair. I mean, he would know he's got the dark hair, the tan skin, the big nose. Yeah, he's got that, you know, he does that.

I feel like that's an Italian thing to do. But it's also a very Ohio thing to do, too. Yeah, very smug. And I feel like he used your appendage much more than Vrable does. You know what I'm saying? Just absolutely putting this guy in a box. He's a playboy. He's just getting after it.

He's got a son that's a really good baseball player. Yeah. Carter. Yeah, yeah. You think he should come here and play? I don't know. You know, sometimes it's about body count. In recruiting, we do things so in advance, like Chaparrel.

That's way, that's young. So. But he said to school. I would not go Vrabel. I'd go Ronnie Lott. I would let a finger be taken off to go to him all. And a certain finger, like would you go middle? Would you go any of them?

I would prefer pinky. I don't want to lose the middle. But would you go thither situation? I feel like the pinky cuts off too much. It makes your hand look away small. I'd probably go a ring finger. That would keep the whole width. Yeah, I don't know.

That pinky you could really just do it out. Really? Yeah. I don't know. I kind of like this little guy. If you're avid science-law and you can put your toes on your thumbs. Yeah. Seinfeld's a great show.

Would you take your thumb off? I don't think I'd go toe thumb. That takes you down the evolutionary chart. You can't do that. No offense to them. Yeah. Yeah, people. It's a big thing.

It's a big craze right now. We don't want to get canceled. Would you donate your entire salary to bustling with the boys if you won a World Series? Hypothetically speaking. Just to win the World Series for the volunteers. For a national championship, I would do that. All right, then. Well, what do you make before taxes?

You guys got to set up another one of these with the AD. I don't even know. You don't know what you make. Oh, he knows. Come on. He knows. We all know what we make. We all know what you make.

We don't know what you make. We don't know what you make. Yeah. I love it, though. You have been outstanding. Yeah. I really appreciate you being a good. sport well you guys make it easy you're my morning coffee after a loss last night so hopefully we

got good karma going into the weekend awesome bigger bat flips we need bigger bat flips we need more fans talking shit yes bring baseball back to what it needs to be in all the little kids they'd be be buying the oversized coach dude we got it embrace the home run absolutely we got to make a bus in baseball shirt a for the boys uh balls we got to do something we got to do something for football we got I'm a fan now. I appreciate it. I am too. I'm going to start watching it more closely. I got the Duke Cannon coming my way, so we'll get you guys set up. All right, cool, man. That is a fair tradeoff. That sounds right. You should give us something. Coach takes a lot. Thank you. Thank you. I appreciate you.

I appreciate it. Hey, guys, it's us. The Jonas Brothers. I'm Joe. I'm Kevin. And I'm Nick. And guess what? We created our own podcast called, Hey, Jonas. We invented a podcast? Well, we didn't invent it. We just contributed to it. We have the first people to do podcasts. We get to ask other people questions because we're sick and tired of being asked questions. Well, sick and tired is a strong way to put it, but, you know, tired and sick.

Tired and sick. Listen to Hey Jonas on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Just listen. We don't care where you hear it. Another podcast from some SNL late-night comedy guy, not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smigel and Friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier. This week, my guest, SNL's Mikey Day and head writer Streeter Seidel, help an a cappella band

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