Tony Vitello headed to TCU?

I heard the rumor first on Tigerboard.com:

I heard Coach Vitello was leaving, anybody know?

Then I got an e-mail from another person close to the Tigers, telling me he had heard the same thing.

There has been no official announcement, no official confirmation, but the rumor is that Mizzou Assistant Coach Tony Vitello will be leaving the Tigers to take a position with the TCU Horned Frogs.

Most knowledgeable Tiger fans have known for quite a while that Coach Vitello has a great future ahead of him. His abilities as a coach, his success in developing pitchers who have gone on to be 1st-round draft picks, and his reputation as a top-notch recruiter all have made him a valuable commodity in the college coaching circles.

TCU is an attractive destination, having made a trip to the College World Series this year, and being one of the primary candidates named as a possible addition to the Big 12 conference.

The Horned Frogs recently lost a long-time assistant coach to the Houstan Cougars, which creates a job opening for an up-and-comer like Tony.

Again, this is only rumor at this point. There's enough talk going around that I would expect some sort of word to come soon about this, though.

Here at SimmonsField.com we wish Tony well if he is indeed moving on.

■ Whitting returns to Houston Dugout (chron.com)

Whitting and the University of Houston mutually agreed Friday that the time was right. Seven summers after his departure, Whitting became the eighth head baseball coach in school history. Athletic director Mack Rhoades on Friday morning finalized an agreement with Whitting to replace Rayner Noble, a former Cougars star who had presided over the program the past 16 seasons.

One person familiar with the terms of the agreement said UH made a five-year commitment to pay Whitting approximately $150,000 per year. Whitting, 38, had been the associate head coach for the TCU Horned Frogs, who are coming off a 54-14 season and their first appearance at the College World Series. In seven seasons at TCU, Whitting helped the school to a 305-134 record and seven NCAA tournament appearances.