Best All-Time SEC Baseball Coach
How do you pick the best all-time SEC baseball coach?
Obviously, you look at the number of championships - NCAA and SEC. And, career win-loss records. Of course, not all coaches are blessed with equal facilities, talent, money, etc. So, you also have to consider how much a coach did with what he had to work with. How much he improved the players and the program.
But, at SEC Sports Fan we first listen to you. The fans. And, you have spoken loud and clear. In fact, we switched our #1 and #2 picks due to the outpouring of support for Skip Bertman. You can read the torrent of comments we received in support of Skip below -- or just click: Skip Bertman Should be #1.
In retrospect, it seems an obvious choice and we were certainly wrong not to have Skip at #1. But, we can always count on the great SEC baseball fans to keep us straight. Thanks!
So, here's our updated list of the Top All-Time SEC Baseball Coaches.
Jim Wells retired after the 2007 season. But not before he had won more games as head baseball coach of the Alabama Crimson Tide than anyone else in the team’s history. His 553-272 (.670) record in 13 years as Bama’s baseball coach is nothing short of spectacular.
UPDATE: Thanks to a reader for pointing out that Jim Wells "unretired" and is now back coaching Bama Baseball. In fact, I think he was only "retired" for about a week. Obviously, everyone is happy to have him back! Of course the stats on this page do not reflect any 2008 games.
Overall, Wells was a Division I head coach for 18 seasons, amassing a total record of 735-361 (.681) in the 1,106 career games he managed. Additional career highlights include an average of 43.25 Alabama wins per season under his leadership; six SEC Tournament Championships (1995, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2002 and 2003); three College World Series appearances (1996, 1997 and 1999); and two Coach of the Year honors (1996 and 2002). Read more at our Jim Wells Biography.
When the Mississippi State University baseball program needed someone to place them on the map, it was Ron Polk who stepped up to the plate and became a prominent figure in the history of the school.
2007 was the 30th year that Polk has stood by the side of his loyal Bulldog team. And, of course, he surprised everyone by taking Mississippi State back to the CWS again.
Over a coaching history that spans 36 years, Polk ranks fifth among active NCAA Division I baseball coaches for most wins. His record stands at an impressive 1,312-647-2.
Polk is also well known as the winningest coach in SEC history with a momentous 30-year run as head coach for Mississippi State baseball. He also led Georgia for 2 years and started his career as head coach at Georgia Southern for 4 years. For more, check out our Ron Polk Biography.
During his illustrious career, he has won 5 SEC regular season baseball championships and five SEC tournament championships. He’s taken his teams to 21 NCAA Regionals. And he’s been to the College World Series 8 times. He is one of the only three head coaches in college baseball history to bring three different schools to the College World Series.
Detroit-native, Skip Bertman has become a legend in LSU baseball . He guided his Tigers to five College World Series Championships in 1991, 1993, 1996, 1997, and 2000. Aside from the five National Championships, he has also made six additional appearances in the College World Series; and earned several SEC West Champion honors; SEC Champion Titles; and NCAA Regional victories.
Bertman possesses a passion and knowledge for the game of baseball that spans several decades. Before serving as the head coach for the LSU Tigers baseball program from 1984 to 2001, Bertman was an assistant coach for the Miami Hurricanes from 1976-1983. After retiring in 2001, Bertman left behind an impressive baseball record of 870-330-3. His love for the school continues, as after he retired from coaching baseball, he became, and still is the Athletic Director for Louisiana State University.
Skip Bertman is an SEC Baseball legend and we pick him as the Best All-Time SEC Baseball Coach. You can read more about him at our Skip Bertman Biography.
To read about other "best coaches" you can visit the following pages:
- Best Coach Ever
- Best All-Time NCAA-College-Football Coach
- Best All-Time SEC-Football Coach
- Top All-Time SEC-Basketball Coach
- Pat Summitt: Top Women's College Basketball Coach
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What Other Visitors Have Said
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Ron Polk Was the Best Not rated yet
Ron Polk should be #1; his accomplishments came when college baseball was supported like women's bowling. Ron Polk did more with less.
Skip's success …
Skip Bertman should be the #1 All-Time SEC Baseball Coach Not rated yet
Bertman's accomplishments blow Polk's away.
Bertman has 5 NC's to Polk's zero. He has more CWS appearances and more SEC titles and he coached half the …
bulldog Not rated yet
Ron Polk is an amazing coach and person i went to the CWS even though we did not do well going there in the first place is good enough
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