The University of Tennessee announced this week that Austin Knight has been appointed as its new pitching coach, a move that signals the program’s intent to reinforce its arms ahead of the upcoming season.
A Strategic Addition for the Vols
Knight arrives after a five‑year stint as pitching coach at East Carolina, where he helped guide a staff that consistently posted sub‑3.50 ERAs and mentored several pitchers who later earned professional contracts.
His career trajectory includes a promotion from volunteer assistant to full‑time pitching coach at East Carolina in 2021, a period during which he also worked closely with catchers at Louisiana Tech before that, and a graduate‑assistant role at Little Rock that sharpened his recruiting instincts.
From Catcher to Coach
Prior to his collegiate coaching, Knight was a four‑year letterman at Ole Miss, where he earned a reputation as a reliable catcher from 2012 through 2015 and honed the defensive fundamentals that now inform his teaching.
Head coach Josh Elander welcomed Knight and his family to Knoxville, emphasizing that the new coach’s blend of SEC experience and player‑development acumen aligns perfectly with the Volunteers’ culture and long‑term goals.
A New Direction for Pitching
The hiring also marks the end of Josh Reynolds’ tenure as pitching coach, a partnership that lasted only one season after Reynolds had served as director of pitching performance under former head coach Tony Vitello in 2025.
Elander noted that the transition reflects a deliberate effort to blend fresh ideas with the program’s core values, a strategy that could prove pivotal as the Volunteers aim to climb the SEC rankings and secure regional tournament berths.