End of an era

• By SCOTT RABALAIS
• Advocate sportswriter
• Published: Jun 29, 2008 - UPDATED: 12:05 a.m.

• Print
• Email
• Save
• Reprints
• Twitter
• Share

• Del.icio.us
• Digg
• Facebook
• Reddit
• 

After a quarter-century as one of the most successful college baseball coaches ever, and as athletic director, the chapter closes Monday on the Skip Bertman era at LSU.

A chapter, but not a book. While Bertman is going, out of his sixth floor office in the athletic administration building, he won’t be completely gone from the LSU athletic picture. This week he’ll move into his new digs in the Tiger Athletic Foundation office, where he will serve as a fundraiser in the role of athletic director emeritus.

Before handing over the reins to incoming Athletic Director Joe Alleva — who starts work Monday but officially begins his duties Tuesday — Bertman gave one more interview as LSU’s director of athletics:

What are your overriding feelings as you leave your job?
I feel real proud of what’s been done in the athletic department the past seven years.  To end up (this year) eighth in the Director’s Cup, the highest (LSU finish) ever, the most points ever — that was always a goal of mine, to be in the top 10.
I’m proud of what the coaches have done, and of the fans who allowed us to do this.

What about being a baseball coach helped you as athletic director?
Whether it’s golf or tennis or football, every student-athlete has the right to be the best he or she could be. It’s not much different from the classroom, where every student should have the best teachers they can have.
My favorite part of the athletic directorship was coaching the coaches, giving them advice, even if I didn’t know anything about that particular sport. I knew what it took to organize groups so goals could be met. I knew how to get it done financially. Most of the coaches picked up on it. I don’t want any credit for their success, but I feel proud of everything they did.

There were great highs — two football national championships, numerous SEC titles, Final Fours, College World Series appearances — but what were the lows?
I never had a lot of tough times. I never received, from what other athletic directors have told me, the number of e-mails and complaints they did. One reason is because I returned calls the same day, answered e-mails, or would have (senior associate athletic director) Herb (Vincent) do it. I always tried to keep up with people, whether they were giant boosters or people just looking for help.

What about the hurricanes of 2005?
Katrina was tough. The part that bothers me the most is it was in Les (Miles’) first year. I think Les would have won every single game if not for the hurricanes. But Les was very noble, and he handled the situation magnificently, especially since it was his first year.

What’s tougher, being a coach or an A.D.?
In coaching it’s easier to keep score. You win a national championship or come in second and everyone knows where you are.

Some say you were lucky to go 5-0 in national championship baseball games, to implement surcharges for football tickets the year you won the 2003 BCS football title, etc. Do you think you were lucky?
I feel luck means Laboring Under Correct Knowledge. I don’t believe as much in luck as I do the percentages and doing the right thing. But I had more than my share of good breaks as a coach and as A.D., almost all of that attributed to having great athletes and great coaches.

No other athletic director before you was willing to tackle the tough sell of seat licenses for football, but you did in 2003. How important was that to maintaining a successful athletic program?
I’m proud that for all seven years we made money. There’s no money that goes from the university to the athletic department — no student fees, no tax dollars. I think that will continue. Once TAF put in the Tradition Fund and the (postseason ticket) points system, that has been very important for the success of LSU athletics.
Another thing I’m proud of is the athletic department’s success has spelled success financially for many businesses. It’s poured about $150 million into the greater Baton Rouge economy without a tax dime being spent.

As you leave, what do you see as the biggest issue facing college athletics as a whole?
The NCAA will ultimately have to step in and do something about costs that are out of our control — like the price of gas, airfare or bus fare, hotel rooms, food, and tuition. All those things are going through the roof. Ultimately, there’s only so much private money that can keep up with that. Ultimately the ticket payer in football, men’s basketball and baseball, some in women’s basketball — the sports that produce some income if not show a profit — will bear the brunt. They can’t do anything about salaries, but they can do other things to control costs, and they probably will.

Wouldn’t some fans, especially in football, say they are already bearing the brunt?
The most expensive football ticket I know of is $80. Soon that will be $90 or $100. We’re still competing at $45 and $50. Around the country they haven’t been as competitive as we have.

What will be your first fundraising project?
I will try to help find people who haven’t been asked to donate. I may travel to ask a person for money who hasn’t been asked yet. Many of them are former athletes, but many are not.