Jay Johnson opens up on relationship with Skip Bertman after bringing another national championship back to LSU

LSU coach Jay Johnson has now won two of the last three national championships in baseball. But there are some things that exceed even a championship celebration. And Skip Bertman has something to do with it.

The legendary former LSU coach and athletics director made it up to Omaha to take in the deciding game on Sunday. He shook hands afterward with people on both sides of the game, exuding class throughout.

Johnson made no bones about what Skip Bertman means to him. None whatsoever.

“First off, the local people have probably heard me say this,” Johnson began. “But literally the best part of me being the head coach at LSU has been the relationship that I have with coach Bertman. That far and away is the best part of being the coach at LSU is the relationship that I have with coach Bertman.

“He wouldn’t argue with me, I would say the two national championships are up there tied for first with that, and I think he’d be OK with that.”

Skip Bertman spent time chatting with Coastal Carolina coach Kevin Schnall after the game. The two were seen talking for about a minute, Schnall’s hand grasped firmly by Bertman’s.

Before that, the long-time LSU legend made a little visit to Johnson and company. Suffice it to say, he was confident in LSU going into the game Sunday, and that confidence spilled over to the staff and the team.

“He came into the coaches’ locker room today,” Johnson said. “I knew he was coming, but it still caught me off guard for a second, and I was like, ‘Oh, we’re winning today.’ The man with the magic is in the house.

“Then he started talking like what we were going to do for the celebration. I was like, ‘Coach, this is a pretty good team that hasn’t lost in two months that we have to figure out how to beat.’ But he’s the best, and I think it’s so awesome that he’s here and that he got to share in this championship game.”

Skip Bertman has won his own championships before. Five of them at LSU, to be exact. But there was something a little extra special about Sunday for everyone involved with the purple and gold.

After all, it’s not every day a living legend comes to share a championship celebration with you. It’s a moment most LSU players, and surely Jay Johnson, will likely never forget.