Stanley "Skip" Bertman, the legendary head coach who led LSU's baseball team to five national championships in a decade, died at age 88, reports infohub.kz.
Bertman passed away early Friday morning at a hospital in Baton Rouge, according to LSU spokesman Michael Bonnette. When Bertman took over the program in 1983, the LSU Tigers had never won a national title. He transformed the team into a college baseball powerhouse, developing numerous future MLB players.
Bertman's legacy includes the current Alex Box Stadium, which opened in 2009, holds about 11,000 fans, and is routinely filled to capacity. In 2013, the field at the stadium was named in his honor. The Tigers have also won three more national championships under two of his successors, most recently in 2025.
Since 2013, the College Baseball Foundation's annual award for the nation's top coach has been named the Skip Bertman Coach of the Year Award. Bertman won it six times between 1986 and 2000. He coached a total of 18 seasons, retiring in 2001 with a record of 870-330-3 and 11 College World Series appearances. He then served as athletic director until 2008, and as athletic director emeritus thereafter, continuing to live in Baton Rouge, support the university, and attend LSU events.
Bertman led the Tigers to their first five NCAA College World Series championships in 1991, 1993, 1996, 1997, and 2000. His tenure also included seven Southeastern Conference championships. His NCAA Tournament winning percentage of .754 is the highest in the history of the event.
Bertman also served as head coach of the 1996 U.S. Olympic team, which at that time included only amateur players and won a bronze medal in Atlanta.
Bertman played baseball at Miami before going into coaching, starting at the high school level in Miami Beach. His final job before taking over at LSU was as an assistant at Miami under then-coach Ron Fraser. Bertman was preceded in death by his wife, Sandy, and daughter, Lisa. Funeral arrangements were pending.