A Louisiana Legend, Skip Bertman retired as athletics director at Louisiana State University in 2008. Prior to his most recent role Bertman led the Tigers' baseball program from 1984-2001.
Under is high guidance, LSU's athletic teams enjoyed great success and recorded improved grade point averages across the board. Working hand in hand with the Tiger Athletic Foundation, Bertman oversaw the completion of the Cox Communications Academic Center for Student-Athletes, the renovation of Tiger Stadium and the Pete Maravich Assembly Center, and the construction of the Football Operations Center. State-of-the-art baseball and softball stadiums, as well as a basketball practice facility, were constructed under his watch.
On the field, Bertman guided LSU to a record of 870-330-3 (.724), five NCAA baseball titles and seven SEC championships during his 18-year coaching tenure, drawing huge crowds to venerable Alex Box Stadium, as the Tigers led the nation in attendance in each of his final six seasons. Bertman was named National Coach of the Year six times.
He also served as head coach of the 1996 U.S. Olympic team which captured the bronze medal in Atlanta.
Bertman continues to be honored for his remarkable coaching tenure, as he was inducted in June 2006 into the College Baseball Hall of Fame as part of the hall's inaugural class. He has also been induced into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame.
In a Baseball America poll published in 1999, Bertman was voted the second greatest college baseball coach of the 20th century, trailing only Rod Dedeaux of Southern California. Bertman, Dedeaux and Augie Garrido of Texas are the only coaches to win five CWS titles.
Bertman had previously earned recognition as one of the nation's brightest assistant coaches while at the University of Miami (Fla.) for eight seasons (1976-83).
Before working at Miami, Bertman was renowned for his coaching excellence. In 11 seasons at Miami Beach High School, he directed the Hi-Tides to a state championship and two runners-up finishes and he was named Florida's Coach of the Year on three occasions.
In 1975, Bertman coached at Miami-Dade Downtown, leaving after one season to join legendary head coach Ron Fraser at Miami.
