J. Stanley “Skip” Bertman

J. Stanley “Skip” Bertman, the legendary LSU baseball coach and athletics director whose innovative vision significantly impacted the state of Louisiana, its flagship university, and the evolution of collegiate athletics, passed away early Friday morning, August 14, 2026, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He was 88 years old.

Bertman, born in Detroit, Michigan on May 23, 1938, and raised in Miami Beach, Florida, arrived at LSU in the summer of 1983 and guided the Tigers to five NCAA National Championships (1991, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000) and 11 College World Series appearances during his 18-season tenure (1984-2001) as baseball coach before working as athletics director for seven years.

As athletics director, he hired four coaches who won National Championships at LSU – Les Miles (football), Paul Mainieri (baseball), Chuck Winstead (men’s golf) and Dennis Shaver (men’s and women’s track & field).

Bertman was instrumental in the implementation of new fundraising methods that changed the trajectory of LSU Athletics, setting it on a course to become the most recognizable college athletics brand around the world.

Bertman is survived by his daughters, Jan, Jodi and Lori, and by his grandchildren, Sophie, Isaac, Sam and Ezra. He was preceded in death by his daughter, Dr. Lisa Jo Pate, and by his wife of 63 years, Sandy, who passed away in March 2025. Skip and Sandy met in 1961, when both were working as teachers at Madie Ives Elementary School in Miami, Florida. The couple was engaged three months later and married on February 11, 1962.

“Few people have had a greater impact on LSU than Skip Bertman," said LSU Vice President/Director of Athletics Verge Ausberry. "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. May his memory be a blessing.”

"By far the greatest part of being the baseball coach at LSU the last five years," said LSU coach Jay Johnson, "is the relationship I was able to build with the greatest college baseball coach of my lifetime, Skip Bertman. 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.

"Coach Bertman was so far ahead of his time while leading the LSU Tigers, and as a young coach just starting my journey, I watched, studied, and admired his incredible skills of leading, motivating, teaching, coaching, and ultimately cultivating what became 'The Powerhouse' of College Baseball. Being able to share the 2023 and 2025 National Championships with Coach Bertman watching is something I wouldn’t trade for the world. The impact he made and legacy he has left on the state of Louisiana and college baseball is beyond remarkable and will never be duplicated.

"I love you Coach, I will miss you and will continue to work every day in a manner that I know would make you proud."

Bertman arrived in Baton Rouge with a vision to transform LSU into the nation’s elite college baseball program. He was hired as the Tigers’ head coach after a highly successful eight-year stint at his alma mater, the University of Miami, where he served as associate head coach and helped lead the Hurricanes to five College World Series appearances, including the 1982 national title. His early coaching career was highlighted by his 1970 Miami Beach High School team, which claimed the Florida state championship.

He was determined to create the same atmosphere of excellence at LSU that he thrived in at Miami. He knew that he would face many challenges in rebuilding a program that was averaging less than 500 fans per game in an aging Alex Box Stadium.

He overhauled every aspect of LSU Baseball and developed a dynasty during 18 remarkable seasons. He demonstrated to athletics directors around the country that college baseball could be a profitable enterprise through dedicated attention to every detail involving academics, facilities, recruiting, marketing and, of course, winning baseball games.

Backed by tremendous community support and the determined work ethic of assistant coaches and players, Bertman made “Baseball At The Box” a must-see event, as thousands poured through the turnstiles at a renovated Alex Box Stadium to inspire the Tigers to win championships.

Bertman compiled an 870-330-3 (.724) record at LSU, leading the Tigers to five national championships and 11 CWS berths. He is one of only three coaches in NCAA Division I history to win five College World Series titles, and he was voted National Coach of the Year in 1986, 1991, 1993, 1996, 1997 and 2000.

He coached at LSU 41 players who advanced to Major League Baseball, and three players who have joined him as inductees in the College Baseball Hall of Fame – pitcher Ben McDonald, second baseman Todd Walker and first baseman Eddy Furniss.

Today, college baseball enjoys unprecedented popularity throughout the nation in large part due to Bertman’s unrelenting commitment to greatness. LSU has led the nation in attendance 26 times since 1996, averaging over 11,000 tickets sold per game.

Bertman also enjoyed success at the international level, serving as the head coach of the 1996 United States Olympics team that claimed the bronze medal in Atlanta. He was the pitching coach of the 1988 U.S. Olympic squad the captured the gold medal in Seoul.

Bertman served as Director of Athletics at LSU from 2001-08, leading one of the greatest periods of facility growth and athletic accomplishments in the history of the institution. He supervised a highly successful 20-sport program during a period that featured football national championships in 2003 and 2007.

Upon his retirement as baseball coach in 2001, his No. 15 jersey was retired at LSU, and the street in front of the original Alex Box Stadium was re-named Skip Bertman Drive. The playing surface at the new, state-of-the-art Alex Box Stadium, which opened in 2009, was named “Skip Bertman Field” in 2013.

Bertman was inducted into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame in 2002, the College Baseball Hall of Fame in 2006 and the LSU Athletics Hall of Fame in 2011.

He became a pillar of the Baton Rouge community, serving on numerous philanthropic organizations such as United Way, Cancer Services and the Alzheimer’s Association, and he was honored by organizations like the Arthritis Foundation, the Boy Scouts of America and the Anti-Defamation League.

LSU will host a Celebration of Life in honor of legendary baseball coach and athletics director Skip Bertman at 7 p.m. CT on Tuesday, August 25, 2026. at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center on LSU’s campus. It will be free and open to the public. Doors will open at 6 p.m.

For the public, seating will be general admission in the PMAC upper bowl and entrance will be located at the top of the exterior ramps. Floor and lower bowl seating will be reserved for guests of the Bertman family.

Concessions will not be available, but attendees can bring their own sealed water bottle.

General public parking is recommended in lots 401 and 404, as well as other available lots surrounding the PMAC.

The event will be broadcast live on the SEC Network, ESPN+, as well as the LSU Sports YouTube and Facebook pages.

“Anything you vividly imagine, ardently desire, sincerely believe and enthusiastically act upon must, absolutely must, come to pass."

Family and friends may sign the online guestbook or leave a personal note to the family at www.resthavenbatonrouge.com 

In lieu of sending flowers, the Bertman Family requests that donations be made in Skip’s honor to one of the following organizations on which he made a lasting impact:

Athletes for Hope: www.athletesforhope.org/get-involved/donate-2/, or College Baseball Hall of Fame: www.cbhalloffame.org/checkout/donate?donatePageId=6602d3517623d72ef55cf365, or LSU Baseball Coach's Committee (Baseball Excellence Fund) https://lsusports.evenue.net/give/BCBDSE?_gl=1*p9r0yi*_gcl_au*NTM1OTc3ODE2LjE3ODczNDY2Mjg.*_ga*NDAwMTYzMzE0LjE3ODczNDY2Mjg.*_ga_H5J0WQLH9X*czE3ODczNTAwNTgkbzIkZzEkdDE3ODczNTEyMzIkajE1JGwwJGgw&_ga=2.80497239.1104386845.1787346629-400163314.1787346628, or LSU Foundation - Skip Bertman Leadership Endowed Fund https://www.lsufoundation.org/give/ways-to-give/tribute-pages/skip-bertman.php