One of the best college baseball coaches in the history of the sport has died. Former LSU coach Skip Bertman, who led the Tigers to five national championships, died early Friday morning. He was 88.
WAFB in Baton Rouge reports that Bertman died at Baton Rouge General hospital while surrounded by his daughters.
Bertman was hired as the head coach at LSU in 1984 and held the position until 2001.
Across his 18 seasons, LSU reached the College World Series 11 times, won five national championships and won seven SEC titles.
“My heart is broken this morning….we have lost Coach Bertman. The best to ever fill out a lineup card…. the man who changed college baseball forever and the man who built the best baseball program in the country," former LSU star and current ESPN announcer Ben McDonald posted on X.
“As great a coach he was, even a better man that touched countless lives! So thankful I got to see him last night and tell him how much I loved him 1 more time!”
Bertman played college baseball at the University of Miami and later served as an assistant coach for the Hurricanes before being named head coach at LSU. He is a member of the University of Miami Sports Hall of Fame.
In 2006, Bertman became the first coach inducted into the College Baseball Hall of Fame.
Following his coaching career, Bertman served as the athletic director at LSU from 2001 to 2008. The Tigers won two national football titles during that time.
“Skip Bertman was a giant,” ESPN’s Tom Hart posted on X. “It was always an honor to talk ball with him. The popularity of the sport is directly tied to the success of his LSU teams and their prominence.”
Stories by Matt Connolly
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