Bernard W. Bierman (March 11, 1894 – March 7, 1977) was an American college football coach best known for his years as head coach of the Minnesota Golden Gophers football program. Between 1934 and 1941, his Minnesota teams won five national championships (1934, 1935, 1936, 1940, and 1941) and seven Big Ten championships (1933, 1934, 1935, 1937, 1938, 1940, and 1941) and had four perfect seasons (1934, 1935, 1940, 1941). Bierman's five national championships rank him among the greatest college football coaches of all time, as only 2 coaches (Nick Saban (7) and Bear Bryant (6)) have won more.^[1]

Bierman was born and raised in Minnesota and attended the University of Minnesota where he played football, basketball, and track, and was captain of the undefeated 1915 Minnesota Golden Gophers football team.

Bierman later served as the head football coach at the University of Montana (1919–1921), Mississippi A&M (1925–1926), Tulane University (1927–1931), Iowa Pre-Flight (1942), and Minnesota (1932–1941, 1945–1950). He compiled a career record of 153–65–12 as a head football coach and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1955. Bierman was also the head basketball coach at Montana (1919–1922), Mississippi A&M (1925–1927), and Tulane (1928–1930), tallying a career college basketball coaching mark of 89–51.

Bierman was born in 1894 to German immigrants on a farm near Springfield, Minnesota.^[2] His family moved to Oklahoma when he was a baby, but returned to Minnesota, living in Waseca, Paynesville, Litchfield, and Minneapolis. The family returned to Litchfield in 1908, and it was there that Bierman attended high school and played football, baseball, and track, before graduating in 1912.^[3] Bierman's high school athletic success is remarkable given his bout of osteomyelitis which confined him to crutches for 3 years as a boy.^[4]

Bierman enrolled at the University of Minnesota in the fall of 1912. He played for the freshman football team in 1912 and for the varsity team in 1913, though a charley horse sidelined him early in the season. He became a starter in 1914, and as a senior, he was captain of the undefeated 1915 Minnesota Golden Gophers football team.^[5][6] He won a total of seven varsity letters at Minnesota, three in football, three in track, and one in basketball.^[5]

Bierman was the second of four Bierman brothers to compete in athletics at the University of Minnesota. Older brother Al Bierman played halfback for the football team in 1912 and 1913. George Bierman was the school's top broad jumper. Harlow Bierman was the youngest brother joined the football team in 1917.^[7]

Bierman remained employed by the University of Minnesota's athletic department until his retirement in the summer of 1959.^[6] He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1955.^[25][26] He was also inducted into the Minnesota Sports Hall of Fame in 1958,^[27] the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame in 1967,^[28] the New Orleans Sports Hall of Fame in 1971,^[29] and the University of Minnesota "M" Club Hall of Fame in 1991.^[30]

After retiring in 1959, Bierman moved to southern California. During the 1960s, he continued an association with Minnesota as the color commentator on WCCO's radio broadcasts of Minnesota football.^[6]

Bierman and his wife Clara had two sons, William A. Bierman and James Bierman. Bierman died on March 7, 1977, at Saddle Community Hospital in Laguna Hills, California, after a long illness.^[31]