Tennessee Volunteers head coach Tony Vitello speaks with MLB Network during the MLB Draft. Brett Davis / Imagn Images

Tony Vitello could be poised to trade out his closet for a different shade of orange. The University of Tennessee athletic teams wear a uniquely bright version as their official color. The San Francisco Giants use a more traditional shade in their primary uniforms.

But if the Giants want to convince Vitello to leave his comfortable perch as the head coach in Knoxville and make the nearly unprecedented jump from a college campus to running a major-league dugout, then the only color that really matters is green.

There isn't a signed agreement between the parties yet. But as The Athletic first reported, the Giants have offered the manager position to Vitello. It should be clear very soon whether Giants president Buster Posey's search stops here or whether it hits a snag. In the meantime, it's creating a stir within every level of the game that Posey is willing to take the highly unorthodox step of hiring a Division I coach to manage in the major leagues. It could create a sea change within the industry for what a major-league managerial candidate looks like, what qualities they need to possess and whether past prerequisites no longer apply.

While we wait for the next development, here are some points to consider:

That's sort of what he does. Whether he's in someone's dining room on a recruiting visit or firing up his dugout during games or serving as a draft analyst for MLB Network, Vitello makes an impact in every space he enters. There's energy and charisma behind almost every interaction. Those qualities were said to stand out to Posey early in the interview process, and although Vitello is not a traditional candidate, there were no significant red flags raised when the Giants engaged in vetting conversations with others familiar with his background and personality.

If there's one thing Posey admires as much as solid fundamental play, it's a roster of resilient and confident players who attack the game with a take-no-prisoners attitude. Maybe the rah-rah college stuff wouldn't play to previous generations of big-league veterans, but it's hard not to think about the emotional impact that one of Vitello's all-time favorite Vols players, rookie outfielder Drew Gilbert, made on the Giants after he debuted this past August. If a rookie like Gilbert felt free to express himself on his first day in a major-league dugout, then maybe the big-league dugout is ready for a manager with that same pep-rally intensity.

There's every indication that the job was Hundley's if he wanted it. The former Willie Mac Award winner is one of Posey's best friends in the game and models Posey's stated desire to hire a servant leader whose presence commands respect in every room he enters. But Hundley lives in the San Diego area, he has two young daughters and is said to treasure being an active participant in their lives -- something his current role allows while working as a special assistant for Texas Rangers GM and longtime friend Chris Young.

Becoming a major-league manager would require signing himself over to the demands of a six-week spring training and a 162-game schedule. Hundley wasn't sure he was ready to make that commitment right now, and it's likely that he wouldn't have seriously considered it for anyone other than Posey. While Hundley has been contacted by other clubs, including the San Diego Padres, it's expected that he will remain in his current role with the Rangers.

From a leverage standpoint, it doesn't help the Giants to have the news out there that they've offered Vitello the job. If they fail to land him, then they'd have to move along in their search -- and nobody wants to be known as a third-choice candidate.

But the Giants also knew what they were getting into when they walked down this path. Their beginning financial offer at minimum had to match Vitello's UT salary, which is already more than what most major-league managers earn. Shortly after the Vols won the first College World Series title in school history last year, Vitello signed an extension through 2029 that will pay him $3 million per season. He's the second-highest-paid coach in Division I and his contract also includes a $3 million buyout, which the Giants would be responsible for paying. That's on top of the $4 million or so that they will pay Bob Melvin to not manage next year's club.

Then there's all the other stuff, including California taxes (Tennessee has no state income tax) and the cost of living in San Francisco. Vitello also would be leaving one of the most secure baseball jobs in the country for the volatility that is inherent for any major-league manager. Maybe Vitello couldn't command the record-setting contract that the Chicago Cubs gave to Craig Counsell (five years, $40 million), but he's not going to be a cheap hire. And that's before we find out how much more the Vols are willing to offer him to stay.

It'd be unprecedented to make someone with entry-level pro experience one of the highest-paid managers in the game. It's also impossible to believe that Posey would let a few million derail him from hiring the person he believes is the best choice to manage. Posey didn't blink at giving a franchise-record seven-year, $182 million contract to shortstop Willy Adames barely two months after taking over as club president. He didn't blink at taking on more than $250 million while trading for Rafael Devers this past June.

Unless Vitello truly doesn't want the job and is simply looking to extract a sweeter deal from the Vols, it's hard to imagine money getting in the way.

Max Scherzer is one of Vitello's best friends, going back to their time together when Vitello, then an assistant coach, recruited him to play for the University of Missouri. Assuming that Scherzer wants to continue his career next season -- and judging from his dominant Game 4 performance in the ALCS, the 41-year-old future Hall of Famer still has more in the tank -- then pitching in San Francisco and serving as another coach on the field for Vitello would be the most natural fit ever. Who better than Scherzer to ensure that Vitello gets full buy-in from even the most skeptical veteran player in the room?

Scherzer would be a fit in another respect. The Giants will be looking for multiple starting pitchers this offseason. If they can create enough depth, then perhaps Scherzer could be looked upon as a depth starter who gives them 75-100 innings and has enough fuel to make an impact in October. That's how postseason teams are operating these days, whether it's the Dodgers (Blake Snell, Roki Sasaki, et al) or Toronto Blue Jays (Shane Bieber, Scherzer).

It'd be just as fascinating to see how the rest of the coaching staff would come together under Vitello's leadership. Here's one early name to circle as a potential bench coach: Jayce Tingler. The former San Diego Padres manager played with Vitello at Mizzou and they've maintained a close relationship over the years. Tingler, who was bench coach to Rocco Baldelli with the Twins this past season, could be a candidate to replace him as the manager in Minnesota. If not, then Tingler's major-league dugout experience -- he was also the bench coach in Texas in addition to managing the Padres from 2020-21 -- would make him an appealing complement and trusted confidante to Vitello in San Francisco. Tingler is a fluent Spanish speaker as well.

The Giants also could seek to preserve some continuity from this past season's coaching staff to aid Vitello's transition. Mark Hallberg was an asset as the third-base coach in 2023 before Melvin installed Matt Williams at that position and shifted Hallberg across the diamond to first base. It'd be an instant upgrade to restore Hallberg to his former position and hire a coach who can make the kind of impact on baserunning that Antoan Richardson made on the New York Mets this past season.

There are plenty of reasons that D-I coaches haven't been viewed as viable major-league managerial candidates. But Posey is seeking a strong personality, not a dugout caretaker. And when eight teams are in the process of hiring a manager, there are only so many qualified candidates to go around.

The entire league is likely to try to copy some aspect of the Milwaukee Brewers' success, including their charismatic manager, Pat Murphy, who coached at Arizona State and Notre Dame. Murphy, of course, also had more than a decade of pro experience after leaving ASU, including an interim stint in San Diego and several years as the bench coach in Milwaukee. But Stephen Vogt spent only one year in Seattle's dugout before transitioning from former player to managing Cleveland to consecutive postseason appearances. Kai Correa, who just accepted the bench coach job with the New York Mets, is joining his third big-league coaching staff despite no professional playing background. These days, it's more about the personality than the dossier.

And yet, hiring a college coach to manage means sticking your neck out in a way that no top baseball executive ever has. This is where you have to remember that Posey is not only the Giants' top baseball decision maker. He's not only one of the most popular players in franchise history who will likely be giving a speech in Cooperstown in 2027. He is also a part-owner who sits on the executive board.

There are very few people who have Posey's level of self-assurance. Beyond that, there's almost no one in the game who has his stature within his marketplace. To hire a candidate as unorthodox as Vitello, you need to have all of the above. We're about to find out if Buster gets his man -- and then, perhaps in time, whether this fascinating experiment will actually work.

What Buster Posey's pursuit of Tony Vitello means, and what comes next for Giants