Russ Bergman Explained

Russ Bergman
Birth Date:13 September 1947
Alma Mater:LSU
Player Years1:1966–1969
Player Team1:LSU
Player Positions:Guard
Coach Sport1:Basketball
Coach Years2:1972-1974
Coach Team2:App State (assistant)
Coach Years3:1974-1975
Coach Team3:App State (interim HC)
Coach Years4:1975-1994
Coach Team4:Coastal Carolina
Coach Years5:1994-1998
Coach Team5:Oklahoma City Calvary
Coach Years6:1998-2000
Coach Team6:Idaho Stampede
Coach Years7:2004-2005
Coach Years8:2005-2009
Coach Team8:BC Khimki (AHC)
Coach Years9:2010-2011
Coach Years10:2012-2013
Coach Team10:BC Krasnye Krylia (assistant)
Coach Years11:2014-2015
Coach Team11:BC Spartak Primorye
Coach Years12:2015-2016
Coach Team12:PBC Lokomotiv Kuban (assistant)
Coach Years13:2018-2019
Coach Team13:BC Kalev (assistant)
Coach Sport14:Baseball
Coach Years14:1984
Coach Team14:Coastal Carolina
Admin Years1:1975-?
Admin Team1:Coastal Carolina
Tournament Record:0–2 (NCAA Division I)
Championships:
Awards:
  • Big South Coach of the Year (1988,1989,1990)
  • Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame Inductee (1995)[1]

Russ Bergman (born September 13, 1947) is an American former college basketball player and coach. Bergman played collegiately at LSU, and would go on to be an interim basketball coach at Appalachian State, and head coach of Coastal Carolina.

Playing career

Bergman was a 4-year scholarship player for the LSU Tigers. He played under Press Maravich and was roommates with the legendary Pete Maravich.[2]

Coaching career

Bergman would start his coaching career as an assistant at Appalachian State, working under his coach at LSU (Press Maravich) in 1972. He would later become the interim head coach at App State following Maravich stepping down in the middle of the 1974–75 season.

His tenure at Coastal Carolina would end following a bizarre incident when he called a local reporter at The Sun News in Myrtle Beach and confessed to recruiting violations, this was after Bergman took the team to watch the movie Blue Chips, this and an NCAA investigation led Bergman to resign from his position following the 1994 season.[3] [4]

Following his departure from Coastal Carolina, Bergman would make multiple stops coaching in professional leagues in both the United States and Eastern Europe.

Baseball coach

Bergman became the interim coach of the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers during the 1984 season, when he served as both the Athletics Director and coach of the Men's Basketball team. He fired then baseball coach Larry Carr after a dispute in April 1984.[5] Bergman would finish the year serving as the school's baseball coach.

Head coaching record

Sources: [6] [7] [8]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Bergman, Russell "Rusty" (1995).
  2. Web site: Happy Birthday!: HoopsHD interviews former Coastal Carolina coach Russ Bergman. Jon. Teitel. September 13, 2021.
  3. Web site: The NCAA Basketball Coach Who Confessed After 'Blue Chips,' but Only Told Half the Story. Aaron. Gordon. March 30, 2017.
  4. Web site: Sports of The Times; The Coach Who Phoned Himself In. Harvey. Araton. March 10, 1994. NYTimes.com.
  5. Web site: 'Hitman' pens book about new Bow swing. January 8, 2014. MyHorryNews.com.
  6. Web site: Russ Bergman Coaching Record. College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com.
  7. Web site: Rusty Bergman College Stats. College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com.
  8. Web site: 2022-23 MBB Fact Book (PDF). Coastal Carolina University Athletics.