 In anticipation of Bertman's retirement, Louisiana-Monroe coach Smoke Laval was brought on as an administrative assistant for the LSU baseball team in 2001 and succeeded Bertman as coach in 2002.Laval was returning to LSU where he served as an assistant coach under Bertman from 1984–1993.In 1993, Laval left LSU for ULM (then known as Northeast Louisiana).