Skip Bertman

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Skip Bertman
Title	Head Coach
College	Louisiana State University
Sport	College baseball
Conference	SEC
Born	May 23, 1938 (1938-05-23) (age 70)
Place of birth	Detroit, MI
Career highlights
Overall	870-330-3
Championships
1991 College World Series 1993 College World Series 1996 College World Series 1997 College World Series 2000 College World Series
Playing career
1958-1960	Miami (FL)
Position	Outfield/Catcher
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1976-1983 1984-2001	Miami (FL) (Asst.) LSU

J. Stanley "Skip" Bertman (born May 23, 1938 in Detroit), is a former college baseball coach who is now entering his sixth year as the athletic director at LSU. He led the LSU Tigers baseball to College World Series Championships in 1991, 1993, 1996, 1997, and 2000.

[edit] University of Miami playing career

Bertman spent his collegiate playing days as an outfielder and catcher at the University of Miami, in Coral Gables, Florida, from 1958-1960. While a player at UM, Bertman earned his B.A. in health and physical education. He later received his master's degree from UM in 1964.

[edit] Coaching career

[edit] University of Miami

In 11 seasons as head baseball coach at Miami Beach High School, Bertman's team won a State Championship and was State runner-up twice. Bertman was named Florida High School Coach of the Year three times. Based in part on these coaching credentials, Bertman went on to work as associate head coach at the University of Miami for eight seasons (1976-1983) under Ron Fraser. During this time, the Hurricanes won the national championship in 1982 and, after Bertman left to become head baseball coach at LSU, the Hurricanes went on to win the championship again, in 1985.

[edit] Louisiana State University

Bertman began coaching at LSU in 1984 and went on to help guide LSU to five NCAA baseball titles. His teams also drew large crowds to LSU's Alex Box Stadium, as the Tigers led the nation in collegiate baseball attendance in each of his final six seasons (1996-2001).

He also served as head coach of the 1996 U.S. Olympic team, which captured the bronze medal in Atlanta.

Bertman has been inducted, in June 2002, into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame. He was inducted into the American Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in January 2003, and was a member of the inaugural class of the College Baseball Hall of Fame on July 4, 2006.

In a Baseball America poll published in 1999, Bertman was voted the second greatest college baseball coach of the 20th century, trailing Rod Dedeaux of Southern California.

[edit] Head Coaching Record

[edit] Athletic Director

In six years as LSU's director of athletics, Bertman has already added to his impressive list of on-the-field achievements. Under his direction, LSU enjoyed arguably the greatest athletics year in the history of the institution in 2003-04. Three teams won national championships, nine teams finished in the nation's top ten, and fourteen teams ranked in the top 25. LSU teams also enjoyed improved grade point averages across all sports, making the LSU student-athlete experience a success on and off the fields of competition.

While supervising the Tigers' progress on the playing fields, he has begun to implement measures necessary to realize his vision of building the LSU athletics department into the best in the country. Bertman's bold and innovative plans promise to keep the Tigers among the nation's elite in all phases of collegiate athletics.

Bertman is now in the midst of upgrading LSU's athletics complex. Working hand in hand with the Tiger Athletic Foundation, Bertman has already helped oversee the completion of the Cox Communications Academic Center for Student-Athletes while launching renovations to Tiger Stadium and the Pete Maravich Assembly Center, and beginning construction on a new Football Operations Center.

Bertman also took the bold move to implement a seat contribution program in Tiger Stadium to fund facility improvements and ensure the financial stability of the LSU Athletics Department for the next decade.

Bertman was named LSU's athletics director on January 19, 2001, where he is responsible for an athletic budget of $52 million.

On June 4, 2006, Bertman fired his successor as LSU's baseball coach, Raymond "Smoke" Laval, after the Tigers went 35-24 overall and 13-17 in the SEC, failing to reach the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1988. Bertman speculated that he would consider a return to the dugout if he could not find a suitable candidate to replace Laval, but the job was eventually given to former Notre Dame coach Paul Mainieri.

The LSU Board of Supervisors approved Bertman's three-year contract extension. Bertman's new extension, which was approved without discussion, calls for the former coach to be paid $425,000 annually. The contract extension begins July 1, 2007, and ends June 30, 2010. Bertman, who served as Athletic Director since leaving his coaching position after the 2001 baseball season, plans to step down in 2008 to become athletic director emeritus as dictated by his contract. As athletic director emeritus, Bertman will primarily be involved with fundraising.[1]

[edit] Personal

Bertman and his wife Sandy are the parents of four daughters; Jan, Jodi, Lisa and Lori. The Bertman's have four grandchildren; Sophie Faith and Isaac Stanley, the children of Emile and Lori Bertman Guirard, and Samuel Aaron and Ezra Marc, the sons of Drew and Lisa Pate.

[edit] See also

• 1996 LSU Tigers baseball team
• LSU Tigers baseball
• LSU Tigers

[edit] Achievements

Bertman led Team USA to a bronze medal in the 1996 Summer Olympic Games. The team finished the Olympic Games with a 6-1 record on a victory over Nicaragua.

National Collegiate Baseball Championships: 2000, 1997, 1996, 1993, 1991

SEC Championships: 1997, 1996, 1993, 1992, 1991, 1990, 1986

Career record (1984-2001): 870-330-3 (.724)

NCAA tournament record: 89-29 (.754), highest winning percentage in NCAA history

National Coach of the Year: 2000, 1997, 1996, 1993, 1991, 1986

College World Series appearances: 2000, 1998, 1997, 1996, 1994, 1993, 1991, 1990, 1989, 1987, 1986

[edit] References

• LSUSports.net

[edit] External links

• Louisiana Legends: Skip Bertman.
• BR Bullpen.
• Baseball America.