It’s always been more than just baseball to Scott Berry.

As media members, we’re supposed to be unbiased and impartial. However, when it comes to Scott Berry, those are two things I just can’t be anymore.

There are many things that can be said about Scott Berry. I think Jack Duggan, who is the Associate AD and Sports Information Director for Southern Miss, who also keeps all the stats for baseball said it best when he said this:

“Word’s really have a hard time coming into my head when it comes to Scott Berry – a guy that I’ve known for almost twenty years and that I’ve had the good fortune to work for,” said Duggan. “There’s no one like him. He’s a special human being. One that I have enjoyed working every day with – every one that he’s made me a part of this special program. Certainly, someone that I’m going to miss working with on a daily basis. I can’t wait to maybe go hunting with him one day.” Jack’s been around a lot of coaches and a lot of different baseball teams. I think he might know a little something when it comes to personalities.

One guy that loves baseball is Southern Miss Football Head Coach Will Hall. How many times have we seen Will Hall in the Right Field Roost or in one of the suites cheering Southern Miss on to victory? When I asked Will Hall about Scott Berry, he had this to say:

“I just think he’s legitimately genuine in a day and age where being genuine is not always looked at as cool,” said Hall. “He’s just a genuine guy. He’s not social media, he’s not fluff, he’s not pomp and circumstance. He’s about looking you in the eye, telling you how he feels, shaking your hand and expecting you to do the same back to him.”

“Those things always win out over time. Man, I mean, when you look at his track record of former players and how they feel about him, how much they love him. When you watch his teams play, there’s always a calmness – the whole Pete Taylor Magic thing and tweeting that picture out of him dressed as a magician. Our kids are always calm and we have a lot of late-game heroics because those kids believe in their values.”

“I’ve learned a lot from him. How to care for people. I just think being around him, I’ve always believed this in my heart, but he’s validated my belief that being genuine, being honest, and being true can work and still does work. You should always be honest, but you shouldn’t always be candid. Scott Berry’s got a gentleness to him – he’s a true gentleman. The way he handles people and makes them feel is rare in this day and age anywhere.”

As you can tell, Scott Berry was more than just baseball at Southern Miss. He was a foundation to which other coaches and other people in athletics could rely on. However, to me, he became much more than that.

Allow me to tell you a story about Coach Berry and what he did for me. I had my leg amputated during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. I don’t remember much about going into the hospital or even having the procedure done – that’s still all a blur to me. I’m pretty sure I’ll never remember that. After I woke up and got my bearings about me and was trying to process what happened, they finally got my phone to me.

I was able to read and see messages from numerous people in the athletic department. From Jeremy McClain to all the coaches at the time – Jay Hopson, Jay Ladner, Coach McNelis. Everyone was calling or texting me and asking how I was doing and wishing me well. But then I saw missed calls from Coach Berry.

I saw a bunch of texts: “Hey buddy, just checking in. Please give me a call when you get this.” After I felt okay and was starting to move around a bit, I got a call from my mother. She wanted to know whether I had talked to Coach Berry. I said, “No, I haven’t.” I came to find out, somehow, Coach Berry found a way to get my mother’s cell phone number. Every day, he was calling my mother to check on me. Asking, “Do you need anything?” Asking if there was anything he could do. Telling my mother to say hello, from him, if she talked to me.

That meant so much to my mother that Scott would take the time to get her number and call her. Once I got off the phone with her, I called Coach Berry. He was so gracious, and nice, and was so happy to hear from me. He asked me how I was doing – that meant a lot to me. He didn’t have to go out of his way to find out how I was doing. That’s the man Scott Berry is.

After I got out, he would still call and check on me. He would always tell me, “Heath, you’ve got a great spirit. You’re gonna get through this. We’re pulling for you and praying for you. I’m proud of you – keep going.” He didn’t have to do that, but he did.

It made me want to be better. To do all I could to get back to the Pete and watch baseball. And doggonit, a year and a half later, I was able to make it to the Pete for a game. I remember seeing him in his office. We stood out there and talked and you could see the genuine happiness he had seeing me there. It meant so much to me.

That’s what I remember about Scott Berry. Of course, the wins. The consecutive 40-win seasons. The NCAA Regionals. The back-to-back Super Regionals. His trip as an assistant in ’09 to the College World Series. Those things will always be etched in my memory. But his belief in me, his constant uplifting of my spirit, means more to me personally than any win he ever had at Southern Miss.

Another story about Scott that I won’t get too far into: He had called me to check in, going down the road to get away from his family because he was sick – so they wouldn’t get sick. I said, “I’m so sorry. I hope you get to feeling better. I’m sorry you’ve gotta be away for a little while.” He said, “Oh, it’s okay. I’m going to the fish camp.”

If you know Scott Berry, that’s quintessential Scott Berry. Only Scott Berry would think that a good time to go fishing is when he was sick. I told him I hoped he caught a big one. Those are the things I remember most about Scott Berry.

Watching his final press conference, as he teared up, explaining that it’s not about the wins, it’s about the people, he was truly speaking from the heart. One thing’s for sure, I will always remember my relationship with Scott Berry. For that, I’m forever grateful. For that, I’m a better human being.

Scott Berry was the rock at Southern Miss. ADs came and went. Other coaches came and went. But Scott Berry was always there. He could have left and gone to bigger schools, but there’s something to be said about being happy where you are. Maybe that’s something we all could learn from Scott Berry. Sometimes, being happy where you are and making a positive impact on people’s lives means more than any success you could have on the field or in the business world.

Scott Berry is one of a kind and we’ll all miss seeing him on the field. But I guarantee you, we’ll see him at the Pete cheering on Southern Miss for years to come.