LSU baseball icon Skip Bertman, who led Tigers to 5 titles, dies at 88

Skip Bertman (C) served as LSU's baseball coach from 1989 through 2001. Photo by LSU Athletics Aug. 14 (UPI) -- Former LSU baseball coach Skip Bertman, who led the Tigers to five national titles, died Friday in Baton Rouge, La., the school announced. Bertman, who was briefly hospitlized, died from heart-related issues. He was 88. "Few people have had a greater impact on LSU than Skip Bertman," Tigers athletic director Verge Ausberry said in a news release. "As the greatest college baseball coach of all-time, and later as our athletics director, Skip developed a championship standard and culture that still guide us today. "Personally, he was a dear friend, mentor and advisor, and I'm forever grateful for the trust and faith he placed in me to serve this institution. I will continue to honor Skip by leaning into the lessons he taught me every day. Our thoughts and prayers are with his loved ones at this time." Bertman, a Detroit native raised in Miami Beach, coached the Tigers from 1984 to 2001. He led them to College World Series crowns in 1991, 1993, 1996, 1997 and 2000. The six-time National Coach of the Year produced 41 MLB players, including Albert Belle, Todd Walker and Paul Byrd, among others. Bertman's five Division I national titles are tied with Augie Garrido -- who coached at Cal State Fullerton and Texas -- for the second most in history, behind only USC's Rod Dedeaux (10). He led the Tigers to 11 College World Series appearances, seven Southeastern Conference championship sand nine fifth-win seasons, including five-consecutive such campaigns from 1989 through 1993. Bertman, who owns the highest winning percentage in SEC history (.724), also served as head coach the United States Olympic team in 1996, when they won a bronze medal. He was an assistant when Team USA won gold at the 1988 Olympics. Bertman coached at Miami Beach High School and served as an assistant at the University of Miami before taking over in Baton Rouge. His jersey No. 15 was retired by LSU in 2001. He was inducted into the College Baseball Hall of Fame in 2006 and into the LSU Athletics Hall of Fame in 2011. Bertman is also a member of the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame (2002) and American Baseball Coaches Hall of Fame (2003). He also served as Tigers athletic director for seven years. Bertman hired four championship-winning coaches during that tenure, including football coach Les Miles. He is survived by daughters Jan, Jodi and Lori and four grandchildren. Bertman was preceded in death by daughter Lisa Jo Pate and his wife, Sandy. They were married for 63 years. "By far the greatest part of being the baseball coach at LSU the last five years is the relationship I was able to build with the greatest college baseball coach of my lifetime, Skip Bertman," Tigers coach Jay Johnson said. "The mentorship, and most importantly, the friendship we built is easily one of the best, most rewarding, and special relationships I have ever had. What an honor it has been to sit with, talk baseball with, smile with, and laugh with coach."