OXFORD | It was a week after winning the national championship when Mike Bianco finally made the phone call.
Skip Bertman was one of the more than 700 texts Bianco received in the aftermath of clinching the title against Oklahoma, but the relationship required more than a quick reply. Bianco knew it would be an emotional conversation, one he wanted to cherish and not rush.
Sitting in a hotel room in Cary, North Carolina, with some time to spare before heading out to coach the Team USA Collegiate National Team, Bianco dialed Bertman’s number and spoke to his former coach and and former co-worker for more than an hour.
“It was the longest phone conversation we’ve ever had,” Bianco said.
Bertman offered congratulations and expressed how proud he was of his protege, but then the former LSU coach wanted to talk baseball. It’s his main gear, and the two went through situations of the different games in Omaha.
They bonded over baseball, just as they have for more than 35 years.
During the College World Series last season, Bianco leaned on Bertman for advice, and the coach who won every College World Series championship game he appeared in, reminded Bianco about organizational items and planning.
It wasn’t about pitching or hitting but about family-style dinners and making sure players understood the schedule. Taking out all the variables that could impact concentration and performance.
On Tuesday night, Ole Miss beat Memphis, giving Bianco his 871st win as an SEC head coach. He passed Bertman for second place all-time, with Ron Polk’s 1,218 wins the only remaining barrier (though Vanderbilt’s Tim Corbin is only seven wins behind Bianco) from the top spot.
Bianco played for Bertman in 1989 and 1990 and coached alongside him at LSU from 1993-1997, as the Tigers won national championships in 1993, 1996 and 1997. Bertman won five titles in total during his career in Baton Rouge.
“When you have those longevity records or accolades, I’ve been here a long time,” Bianco said about his 23 years and 21 full seasons in Oxford. “It means a lot of good players and coaches. That’s no coach speak. you don’t get here because you’re a good coach . It’s because of good coaches and great players.”
Bianco also won 100 games in three seasons at McNeese State before arriving at Ole Miss. John Shafer hired Bianco in June of 2000. He sold Shafer on the vision of national success while at breakfast at University Inn and dinner at City Grocery.
Shafer met with Bertman in Birmingham during the search to seek his opinion. He bought the LSU coach a scotch and asked him to differentiate between Bianco and fellow finalist Turtle Thomas.
“I compared notes with Skip, and he didn’t want to show favoritism, but I backed him in a corner, and he confirmed what I was feeling all along,” Shafer said last June.
Regular season consistency has been Bianco’s hallmark in what is now a hall of fame-worthy career. Ole Miss is currently 1-8 in the SEC, but he’s never finished a season worse than 13-17 in the conference and only done that once.
Ole Miss, during Bianco’s tenure, is 343-295 in SEC games. The Rebels had four SEC winning records in the 20 years prior to Bianco. He’s missed the postseason just three times in 21 opportunities.
Bianco turns 56 years old next month and has made it clear he doesn’t plan to coach into his 70s, but he’s not ready to wrap it up either. It would take approximately nine seasons to catch Polk at the current pace.
Turning around the Rebels’ current season is Bianco’s current concern, and he’s not one to bask in individual accomplishments. Even though he didn’t say it, Tuesday’s milestone had to have a lot of meaning to him.
His father, Ron Bianco, threw out a first pitch to him during the Delaware series to start the season, and now he’s been linked again to Bertman -- visible connections to two of the most important men in his life.
"Other than his father, Ron, no man has had a greater impact on Mike than Skip,” Bianco’s wife, Camie, said.
