UCLA’s John Savage Named 2026 Skip Bertman Coach of the Year

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. – After leading his team to a historic season UCLA Head Coach John Savage has been named by the College Baseball Foundation (CBF) as the 2026 Skip Bertman Coach of the Year, sponsored by Marucci Sports.

In 2026, he guided UCLA to arguably the greatest regular season in program history, finishing 52-8 and earning Big Ten Coach of the Year honors for the third time in his career. The Bruins set conference records, captured both the Big Ten regular-season and tournament titles, and became the first team ever to remain ranked No. 1 in every major poll for an entire season. He previously led other landmark seasons, including a 52-win campaign in 2019 and a return to the College World Series in 2025.

Other finalists for the 2026 Skip Bertman Coach of the Year Award included Mike Degan (Denison University, NCAA Division III), Dan Fitzgerald (University of Kansas, NCAA Division I), Scott Forbes (University of North Carolina, NCAA Division I), Kyle Gould (Taylor University, NAIA), Eric Horner (Johnson County Community College, NJCAA Division I), Wes Johnson (University of Georgia, NCAA Division I) and James Ramsey (Georgia Institute of Technology, NCAA Division I).

“I am truly honored to receive this award. Having Skip Bertman’s name on the trophy says everything,” UCLA Head Baseball Coach John 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.”

First presented in 2013, the Skip Bertman Coach of the Year Award annually honors the nation's top coach from any level of college baseball. The award is named after legendary Louisiana State head coach and College Baseball Hall of Famer Skip Bertman, who won five NCAA Division I Men’s College World Series titles during his 18-season tenure at LSU.

The Skip Bertman Coach of the Year Award, sponsored by Marucci Sports, is regarded as the premier coaching award in College Baseball. It was created in 2013 to honor the finest in college baseball coaching— those who don’t just win games but build programs, shape players, and set a standard for the sport. Named for Bertman, the first coach inducted into the College Baseball Hall of Fame in 2006, the award recognizes a leader whose influence extends well beyond the diamond.

The award winner was selected by a distinguished committee following completion of the 2026 regular season. The selection committee includes former coaches, administrators and others intimately involved with college baseball. The committee is chaired by Lori J. Bertman, daughter of Coach Skip Bertman, and also includes Ezra Pate, a player at Bates College and grandson of

Coach Bertman. In tribute to Coach Bertman’s lifelong relationships with his players, beginning in 2026, the award will be presented by a rotating former player of Bertman alongside the presenting sponsor Marucci Sports.

“On behalf of the Bertman family and the entire selection committee, it is an honor to recognize John Savage as the 2026 Skip Bertman Coach of the Year,” CBF Trustee and Selection Committee Chair Lori J. Bertman said. “This award carries my father’s name because it represents the qualities he has always believed define great coaches — building championship programs, developing young people, creating a winning culture, and leaving a lasting impact on the game. Coach Savage’s historic season at UCLA was extraordinary, but his influence extends far beyond wins and records. His commitment to excellence, leadership, innovation, and player development embodies everything this award was created to celebrate.”

In addition to being named the Skip Bertman Coach of the Year, Savage was unanimously selected Big Ten Coach of the Year, the third conference coach-of-the-year award of his career (also 2013 & 2019 Pac-12). Savage guided UCLA to one of the most dominant regular seasons in modern college baseball history, including the first wire-to-wire No. 1 ranking ever recorded for a full regular season, a program-record 48 regular season wins, the longest conference winning streak in Big Ten history, and the distinction of being the only team since 2017 Oregon State to win every regular-season weekend.

Savage has transformed UCLA baseball into a perennial national contender during his 22 seasons as head coach. Since taking over the program in 2004, he has built one of the most successful eras in school history, highlighted by UCLA’s first NCAA championship in 2013 and multiple College World Series appearances (2010, 2012, 2013, 2025). Under his leadership, the Bruins have consistently reached the postseason, advancing in 15 of the last 21 seasons and hosting numerous NCAA Regionals.

With a career record of 776-489-2 at UCLA, Savage ranks among the most accomplished coaches in college baseball. His postseason success includes a 52-29 record, the most victories in program history, and four trips to Omaha during his tenure. He is one of a select group of coaches to achieve a rare combination of accomplishments: winning a College World Series, producing a No. 1 MLB Draft pick, coaching a Golden Spikes Award winner, and mentoring players who have gone on to win Cy Young Awards.

Renowned for player development and pitching expertise, Savage has overseen 130 MLB Draft selections at UCLA, including numerous first-round picks and major league players such as Gerrit Cole, Trevor Bauer, and Barry Zito. His recruiting success has been equally impressive, with the majority of his classes ranked in the national top 25 and multiple No. 1-ranked classes.

Other winners of 2026 College Baseball Foundation affiliated awards include Dylan Carey, Nebraska (Brooks Wallace Award), Daniel Jackson, Georgia (Buster Posey Award, Dick Howser Trophy, Bobby Bragan National Collegiate Slugger Award), Jackson Flora, UCSB (Pitcher of the Year), Evan Dempsey (John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year) and Gene Stephenson, Wichita State (Wayne Graham Award for Teaching Excellence).

As part of CBF’s new partnership with Lamar Advertising, Savage and all 2026 award winners will be recognized with custom congratulatory digital signage near the location of the award winner’s institution and hometown as well as other markets throughout the nation. The digital recognition will run for two weeks, beginning on Sunday, June 14.

For more information on the Skip Bertman Coach of the Year Award, visit the College Baseball Foundation website at www.collegebaseballhall.org.

Skip Bertman Coach of the Year Recipients

Year – Name, School, Classification

2026 – John Savage, UCLA, NCAA Division I

2025 – Brad Neffendorf, LSU Shreveport, NAIA

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

2023 – Kevin Brooks, Angelo State, NCAA Division II

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

2021 – Jeremy Sheetinger, Georgia Gwinnett College, NAIA

2020 – Not Awarded (season suspended)

2019 – Erik Bakich, Michigan, NCAA Division I

2018 – Jeff Willis, LSU-Eunice, NJCAA Division II

2017 – Kevin O’Sullivan, Florida, NCAA Division I

2016 – Tim Scannell, Trinity University, NCAA Division III

2015 – Paul Mainieri, LSU, NCAA Division I

2014 – Tim Tadlock, Texas Tech, NCAA Division I

2013 – Mike Dickson, Gloucester County College, NJCAA Division III

About Skip Bertman

There was a time when college baseball was an afterthought, a sport played in front of sparse crowds and given little attention outside a few powerhouse programs. Then came Skip Bertman. When he arrived at LSU in 1984, he saw the potential for something bigger—a dynasty, a spectacle, a new way of thinking about the game. Over 18 seasons, he built LSU into a juggernaut, winning five national championships (1991, '93, '96, '97, 2000), seven SEC titles, and posting a staggering record of 870-330-3 (.724). By the late '90s, LSU wasn't just winning—it was packing Alex Box Stadium with fans who came to watch baseball and to be part of something bigger, too.

His influence extended beyond the college game. In 1996, he led the U.S. Olympic baseball team to a bronze medal in Atlanta. He was inducted into the American Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2003 and was recognized by Baseball America as the second greatest college baseball coach of the 20th century, behind only Rod Dedeaux of USC. Before LSU, he honed his craft as an assistant at the University of Miami, learning the game in ways that would later transform the entire sport.

Beyond the wins, the trophies, and the accolades, Bertman has always been about people. He and his wife, Sandy, have four daughters, and even as he built championships, he never stopped advocating for youth sports and education. His impact on baseball is measured not only in titles, but in the lasting cultural shift that changed how generations of players, coaches, and fans see, teach, and play the game.

The CBF presents the Brooks Wallace Award (Nation’s Most Outstanding Shortstop), the Pitcher of the Year Award, the John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year Award, the Skip Bertman Coach of the Year Award, presented by Marucci, the Wayne Graham Award for Teaching Excellence, and the George H.W. Bush Distinguished Alumnus Award, presented by Rawlings. The CBF also works in collaboration with the Dick Howser Trophy, the Buster Posey Award, presented by Hasty Awards (nation’s top catcher) and the Bobby Bragan National Collegiate Slugger Award.