July 2, 2007
Orlando, Fla. (www.ucfathletics.com) - UCF Director of Athletics and Executive Vice President Keith Tribble announced Monday that the UCF Athletics Association and head baseball coach Jay Bergman have come to terms on a new contract that will keep the legendary skipper with the Knights for at least three more seasons. With one year left on his current contract, Bergman and the UCFAA inked a new deal that lasts until June 30, 2010.
"Coach Bergman has experienced continued success during his time at UCF and has shown great dedication to his program, the university and the community," said Tribble. "He has our baseball program heading in the right direction and we are confident that his teams will continue to compete for Conference USA championships and berths in the College World Series in Omaha."
Bergman, who is UCF's longest tenured coach, recently completed his 25th year and led the Knights to a 27-32 record. He took a Black and Gold team loaded with freshmen and sophomores to its first Conference USA Championship in May, where the squad posted a 1-0 triumph over Houston. The 2007 campaign also included wins over seven different NCAA Tournament teams (TCU, Stetson, Southern Miss, Memphis, Michigan, Monmouth and Rutgers), as the UCF schedule was consistently rated as one of the 30 toughest in the nation.
"I'm very pleased, and very grateful for the opportunities that UCF has given me over the years," said Bergman. "I appreciate their support and I'm glad that I'll be a part of what is going to be the most exciting time for UCF athletics.
"The interesting thing to me is that I have coached in five different decades, starting with the 1960s and now in the 21st century. There are so many players that I have been honored to serve as their coach. Many of them have gone on with their lives and now I am recruiting some of their kids. All of that makes this a great ride."
With a 1,183-688-3 record in 31 years of coaching in the NCAA, Bergman ranks 17th on the Division I career coaching wins list. Meanwhile, the 1,183 victories also rank seventh on the active D-I coaching chart. He has racked up a 967-575-3 mark at UCF, needing just 33 more wins to reach the 1,000 plateau. Bergman, a winner of three Atlantic Sun Coach of the Year awards (2001, 2002, 2004) coached his 1,500th UCF game in 2007 when the Knights defeated Monmouth at home, 11-10, March 3.
Bergman began his head coaching career with Seminole Community College in 1967. After accumulating a 180-79 record in seven seasons, he traveled to the University of Florida and guided the Gators from 1976-81. Bergman became the first Florida coach to advance to the NCAA Regional, and he left the program with the highest winning percentage in school history (216-113, .657).
Bergman, who received his master's of science degree in sociology from Appalachian State in 1966 and his undergraduate degree in history/government from Rollins College in 1963, then ventured to UCF for the 1983 season and made an immediate impact as the school's fourth baseball coach. In only his third year, Bergman and the Knights played an 87-game schedule, which currently ranks in a tie for fourth most in D-I history. That same 1985 season witnessed Tim Barker bang out 142 hits, a single-season record that still stands.
UCF earned its first berth in the NCAA Regionals in 1989 as an independent, and has gone on to make nine trips to the NCAA Tournament. One of Bergman's finest years occurred in 2001 when the Knights never dropped out of the top 25, reaching as high as No. 7 in the country en route to a 51-14 record. That year began with one of the greatest honors handed out at UCF: a brand new baseball facility that bears Bergman's name. Jay Bergman Field has seen UCF squads post a 161-78 overall mark in the last seven years, while attendance from 2006 to 2007 rose 58 percent.
For the latest news and information on the Knights, tickets or apparel log on to www.ucfathletics.com - the official site for UCF athletics.