in 11 seasons as head baseball coach at miami beach high school, bertman's team won a state championship and was state runner-up twice. bertman was named florida high school coach of the year three times. based in part on these coaching credentials, bertman went on to work as associate head coach at the university of miami for eight seasons (1976–1983) under ron fraser. during this time, the hurricanes won the national championship in 1982. in that 1982 college world series, bertman orchestrated one of the most famous plays in college baseball history—a phantom pickoff play known as the "grand illusion" which resulted in wichita state's phil stephenson being thrown out at second base.