A former World Series MVP wants back into baseball, and he is eyeing the Tennessee Volunteers job.
Curt Schilling has expressed interest in the head coaching job at Tennessee, according to Buster Olney of ESPN. Schilling lives in Tennessee and is among many people who are interested in the position.
At first glance, Schilling would appear to be a longshot for the position. The 58-year-old had an outstanding playing career, but he has no coaching experience at any level. That would be a huge risk for anyone to take on, especially a college team.
In addition, hiring Schilling would be controversial. His political opinions have cost him a job with ESPN and led him to fall out of favor with the Red Sox. Some baseball writers have even refused to vote for him for the Hall of Fame due to his politics, which left the pitcher upset. The potential backlash might be more than the Vols are willing to put up with.
The Tennessee job is open after the San Francisco Giants made the surprising decision to hire Volunteers head coach Tony Vitello as their new manager. The position should be highly coveted, as the team has appeared in the College World Series in three of the last five years and won the championship in 2024.
As for Schilling, he was a co-World Series MVP in 2001 with the Diamondbacks. He is also a former NLCS MVP, and he won three World Series during his career. Schilling was one of the most durable pitchers of his era. He pitched 3,261 regular-season innings during his 20-year career from 1988-2007.
