Tennessee baseball parts ways with pitching coach Josh Reynolds

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Tennessee assistant coach Josh Reynolds jogs back to the dugout during a NCAA baseball game between Tennessee and Ole Miss at Lindsey Nelson Stadium on April 18, 2026. | Angelina Alcantar/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

It appears as though Tennessee head coach Josh Elander isn’t shy about making moves that he feels are necessary to improve his program.

Per multiple outlets on Thursday, Elander fired pitching coach Josh Reynolds after just one season in the role and two with the program.

Josh Elander in a Tennessee press release: “I want to thank Josh Reynolds for his hard work and dedication to the Tennessee baseball program during his two seasons in Knoxville, but I have decided it’s best for our program to move in a different direction from a pitching…

— Ben McKee (@benmckee14) June 4, 2026

Reynolds was hired by Tony Vitello and held the role of Tennessee’s Director of Baseball Operations and Pitching Performance in 2025. After Vitello left for the San Francisco Giants in November 2025, he was promoted to the role of pitching coach by Elander, replacing Frank Anderson, who went to the Bay Area with Vitello.

Unfortunately, it’s a results-based business, and the Vols’ pitching, in particular its bullpen, was not good enough throughout the season. Tennessee got good work out of the pen from Cam Appenzeller, Brandon Arvidson, and Bo Rhudy, but the pitching was not nearly up to par from what we’ve seen during the Vitello years. The team ERA of 4.76 was the program’s highest mark in 13 years.

Now, Elander is in a spot to where he really needs to make a good hire. There’s no doubt this is his program now, and he needs to find a way to get more production out of the pitching staff and bullpen that he’s able to assemble for an important 2027 season.

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