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.

Russ Bergman
Biographical details
Born (1947-09-13) September 13, 1947 (age 77)
Alma materLSU
Playing career
1966–1969LSU
Position(s)Guard
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
Basketball
1972-1974App State (assistant)
1974-1975App State (interim HC)
1975-1994Coastal Carolina
1994-1998Oklahoma City Calvary
1998-2000Idaho Stampede
2004-2005Great Lakes Storm
2005-2009BC Khimki (AHC)
2010-2011Al-Rayyan SC
2012-2013BC Krasnye Krylia (assistant)
2014-2015BC Spartak Primorye
2015-2016PBC Lokomotiv Kuban (assistant)
2018-2019BC Kalev (assistant)
Baseball
1984Coastal Carolina
Administrative career (AD unless noted)
1975-?Coastal Carolina
Head coaching record
Overall308–257 (.545)
Tournaments0–2 (NCAA Division I)
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
Awards
  • Big South Coach of the Year (1988,1989,1990)
  • Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame Inductee (1995)[1]

Playing career

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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

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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.

Head coaching record

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Statistics overview
Season Team Overall Conference Standing Postseason
App State (Southern Conference) (1974–1975)
1974–75 App State 2–12 1-7 8th
App Sate: 2–12 (.143) 1–7 (.125)
Coastal Carolina (NAIA) (1975–1985)
1975–76 Coastal Carolina 10-16
1976–77 Coastal Carolina 21-10
1977–78 Coastal Carolina 20-9
1978–79 Coastal Carolina 18-13
1979–80 Coastal Carolina 10-19
1980–81 Coastal Carolina 15-11
1981–82 Coastal Carolina 21-9
1982–83 Coastal Carolina 21-10
1983–84 Coastal Carolina 14-16
1984–85 Coastal Carolina 7-21
NAIA: 157–133 (.541)
Coastal Carolina (Big South Conference) (1985–1994)
1985–86 Coastal Carolina 10–17 1-8 8th
1986–87 Coastal Carolina 12–16 4-4 6th
1987–88 Coastal Carolina 17–11 9-4 1st
1988–89 Coastal Carolina 14–14 9-3 1st
1989–90 Coastal Carolina 23-6 11-1 1st
1990–91 Coastal Carolina 24-8 13-1 1st NCAA Division I First Round
1991–92 Coastal Carolina 12-19 6-8 5th
1992–93 Coastal Carolina 22-10 12-4 2nd NCAA Division I First Round
1993–94 Coastal Carolina 15-11 10-8 6th
Big South: 149–112 (.571) 75–42 (.641)
Coastal Carolina: 306–245 (.555) 75–42 (.641)
Total: 308–257 (.545)

      National champion         Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion         Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion       Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

Baseball coach

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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

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Sources:[6][7][8]

Statistics overview
Season Team Overall Conference Standing Postseason
Coastal Carolina (NAIA) (1984)
1984 Coastal Carolina 12–3 NAIA World Series[9]
Coastal Carolina: 12–3 (.800)
Total: 12–3 (.800)

      National champion         Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion         Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion       Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

References

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