Skip Bertman Coach Of The Year Award Goes To UCLA’s John Savage After Spectacular Regular Season

TIGER RAG NEWS SERVICES

UCLA baseball coach John Savage, whose team spent the regular season ranked No. 1 wire to wire and equaled the program record for overall wins at 52, has been named the 13th annual Skip Bertman Coach of the Year.

The Bruins, who finished 52-8 and won the Big Ten at 28-2 before losing in the NCAA Regional round, swept the Big Ten Conference regular season and tournament titles and were the No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament. Their 48 regular-season wins were most in program history and they finished 52-8.

“Having Skip Bertman’s name on the trophy says everything,” Savage said. “He’s the legend of legends in this game. As a young coach out West, I always admired and looked up to Skip.”

Bertman won five national championships from 1991-2000 as LSU’s coach and took the Tigers to Omaha, Nebraska, for the College World Series 11 times from 1986-2000 after taking over before the 1984 season.

Bertman’s daughter Lori is the chairperson of the selection committee and Bertman’s grandson, Ezra Pate, is on the selection committee along with several former LSU baseball players and College Baseball Foundation board members.

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UCLA posted a 51-6 record heading into the Los Angeles Regional, but went 1-2 at UCLA’s Jackie Robinson Stadium, losing to St. Mary’s 6-5. Savage directed UCLA to a 48-18 record in the 2025 season with a shared Big Ten title at 22-8 and reached the College World Series. After winning its opener over Murray State, the Bruins lost to eventual national champion LSU, 9-5, and Arkansas, 7-3.

“They’ve won 100 games in the last two years,” Savage said. “No one in the country’s done that. Do the math. That’s a tough clubhouse to leave. Those guys have been such wonderful Bruins, teammates, and guys to coach.”

What sets the Bertman coaching award apart from the others is the fact that it can go to coaches from all levels of college baseball.

WINNERS OF THE SKIP BERTMAN COACH OF THE YEAR AWARD

2026 – John Savage, UCLA.

2025 – Brad Neffendorf, LSU-Shreveport, NAIA.

2024 – Jeff Willis, LSU-Eunice, Division II.

2023 – Kevin Brooks, Angelo State, Division II.

2022 – Brian Hamm, Eastern Connecticut State, Division III.

2021 – Jeremy Sheetinger, Georgia Gwinnett College, NAIA.

2019 – Erik Bakich, Michigan.

2018 – Jeff Willis, LSU-Eunice.

2017 – Kevin O’Sullivan, Florida.

2016 – Tim Scannell, Trinity, Division III.

2015 – Paul Mainieri, LSU.

2014 – Tim Tadlock, Texas Tech.

2013 – Mike Dickson, Gloucester Community College, Division III.