View source for Bus Mertes

{{Short description|American football player and coach (1921–2002)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2024}}
{{Infobox college coach
| name = Bus Mertes
| image = File:Mertes-Bus-1947.jpg
| alt = 
| caption = Mertes in 1947
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1921|10|6}}
| birth_place = [[Chicago|Chicago, Illinois]], U.S.
| death_date = {{Death date and age|2002|1|17|1921|10|6}}
| death_place = [[St. Louis Park, Minnesota]], U.S.
| alma_mater = 
| player_years1 = 1941
| player_team1 = [[Iowa Hawkeyes football|Iowa]]
| player_years2 = 1942–1944
| player_team2 = [[Iowa Pre-Flight Seahawks football|Iowa Pre-Flight]]
| player_years3 = 1945
| player_team3 = [[Chicago Cardinals]]
| player_years4 = 1946
| player_team4 = [[Los Angeles Dons]]
| player_years5 = 1947–1949
| player_team5 = [[Baltimore Colts (1947–1950)|Baltimore Colts]]
| player_years6 = 1949
| player_team6 = [[New York Giants]]
| player_positions = [[Running back]]
| coach_years1 = 1950
| coach_team1 = [[Bradley Braves football|Bradley]] (backfield)
| coach_years2 = 1951–1952
| coach_team2 = [[Bradley Braves football|Bradley]]
| coach_years3 = 1953–1954
| coach_team3 = [[Kansas State Wildcats football|Kansas State]] (backfield)
| coach_years4 = 1955–1959
| coach_team4 = [[Kansas State Wildcats football|Kansas State]]
| coach_years5 = 1960–1964
| coach_team5 = [[Drake Bulldogs football|Drake]]
| coach_years6 = 1965–1966
| coach_team6 = [[Denver Broncos]] (assistant)
| coach_years7 = 1967–1984
| coach_team7 = [[Minnesota Vikings]] (assistant)
| overall_record = 50–63–1
| bowl_record = 
| tournament_record = 
| championships = 
| awards = 
| coaching_records = 
}}
'''Bernard James''' "'''Bus'''" '''Mertes''' (October 6, 1921 – January 17, 2002) was an [[American football]] player and coach. He played [[college football]] at the [[University of Iowa]] and professionally in the [[National Football League]] (NFL) and the [[All-America Football Conference]] (AAFC) with the [[Chicago Cardinals]], [[Los Angeles Dons]], [[Baltimore Colts (1947–1950)|Baltimore Colts]], and [[New York Giants]].  Mertes served as the head football coach at [[Bradley University]] from 1951 to 1952, at [[Kansas State University]] from 1955 to 1959, and at [[Drake University]] from 1960 to 1964, compiling a career college football coaching record of 50–63–1.

==Coaching career==
===Kansas State===
Mertes was the 24th head football coach at [[Kansas State University]] in [[Manhattan, Kansas]], and he held that position for five seasons, from 1955 until 1959. His record at Kansas State was 15–34–1.<ref>[http://www.cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/div_ia/big12/kansas_state/coaching_records.php Kansas State Coaching Records<!-- Bot generated title -->] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071218140710/http://www.cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/div_ia/big12/kansas_state/coaching_records.php |date=December 18, 2007 }}</ref>

===Drake===
After leaving Kansas State following the 1959 season, Mertes became the 19th head football coach at [[Drake University]] in [[Des Moines, Iowa]], serving for five seasons, from 1960 until 1964. His record at Drake was 27–19.<ref>[http://www.cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/div_iaa/pioneer/drake/coaching_records.php Drake Coaching Records<!-- Bot generated title -->] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100727024042/http://www.cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/div_iaa/pioneer/drake/coaching_records.php |date=July 27, 2010 }}</ref>

===Denver Broncos===
After leaving Drake following the 1964 season, Mertes joined the [[Denver Broncos]] of the [[American Football League]] as an assistant coach. He coached with Denver for two seasons.

===Minnesota Vikings===
After leaving the Denver Broncos, Mertes joined [[Bud Grant]]'s coaching staff on the [[Minnesota Vikings]] of the NFL. He coached the running backs and special teams, working with players such as [[Bill Brown (American football)|Bill Brown]], [[Dave Osborn]], [[Ed Marinaro]], [[Chuck Foreman]], [[Ted Brown (American football)|Ted Brown]], [[Darrin Nelson]], [[Greg Coleman]], and [[Fred Cox]]. As an assistant with the Vikings from 1967 to 1984, he coached in four [[Super Bowl]]s.

==Head coaching record==
[[File:Bus Mertes.png|thumb|right|Mertes pictured in ''The Quax 1961'', Drake yearbook.]]
{{CFB Yearly Record Start | type = coach | team = | conf = | bowl = | poll = no }}
{{CFB Yearly Record Subhead
 | name         = [[Bradley Braves football|Bradley Braves]]
 | conf         = [[Missouri Valley Conference]]
 | startyear    = 1951
 | endyear      = single
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = 
 | year         = [[1951 college football season|1951]]
 | name         = [[1951 Bradley Braves football team|Bradley]]
 | overall      = 4–5
 | conference   = 0–3
 | confstanding = 7th
 | bowlname     = 
 | bowloutcome  = 
 | bcsbowl      = 
 | ranking      = no
 | ranking2     = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Subhead
 | name         = [[Bradley Braves football|Bradley Braves]]
 | conf         = Independent
 | startyear    = 1952
 | endyear      = single
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = 
 | year         = [[1952 college football season|1952]]
 | name         = Bradley
 | overall      = 4–5
 | conference   = 
 | confstanding = 
 | bowlname     = 
 | bowloutcome  = 
 | bcsbowl      = 
 | ranking      = no
 | ranking2     = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Subtotal
 | name       = Bradley
 | overall    = 8–10
 | confrecord = 0–3
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Subhead
 | name         = [[Kansas State Wildcats football|Kansas State]]
 | conf         = [[Big Eight Conference|Big Seven / Big Eight Conference]]
 | startyear    = 1955
 | endyear      = 1957
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = 
 | year         = [[1955 college football season|1955]]
 | name         = [[1955 Kansas State Wildcats football team|Kansas State]]
 | overall      = 4–6
 | conference   = 3–3
 | confstanding = T–3rd
 | bowlname     = 
 | bowloutcome  = 
 | bcsbowl      = 
 | ranking      = no
 | ranking2     = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = 
 | year         = [[1956 college football season|1956]]
 | name         = [[1956 Kansas State Wildcats football team|Kansas State]]
 | overall      = 3–7
 | conference   = 2–4
 | confstanding = T–5th
 | bowlname     = 
 | bowloutcome  = 
 | bcsbowl      = 
 | ranking      = no
 | ranking2     = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = 
 | year         = [[1957 college football season|1957]]
 | name         = [[1957 Kansas State Wildcats football team|Kansas State]]
 | overall      = 3–6–1
 | conference   = 2–4
 | confstanding = T–5th
 | bowlname     = 
 | bowloutcome  = 
 | bcsbowl      = 
 | ranking      = no
 | ranking2     = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = 
 | year         = [[1958 college football season|1958]]
 | name         = [[1958 Kansas State Wildcats football team|Kansas State]]
 | overall      = 3–7
 | conference   = 2–4
 | confstanding = 5th
 | bowlname     = 
 | bowloutcome  = 
 | bcsbowl      = 
 | ranking      = no
 | ranking2     = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = 
 | year         = [[1959 college football season|1959]]
 | name         = [[1959 Kansas State Wildcats football team|Kansas State]]
 | overall      = 2–8
 | conference   = 1–5
 | confstanding = 7th
 | bowlname     = 
 | bowloutcome  = 
 | bcsbowl      = 
 | ranking      = no
 | ranking2     = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Subtotal
 | name       = Kansas State
 | overall    = 15–34–1
 | confrecord = 10–20
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Subhead
 | name         = [[Drake Bulldogs football|Drake Bulldogs]]
 | conf         = [[NCAA College Division|NCAA College Division independent]] 
 | startyear    = 1960
 | endyear      = 1964
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = 
 | year         = [[1960 college football season|1960]]
 | name         = Drake
 | overall      = 4–5
 | conference   = 
 | confstanding = 
 | bowlname     = 
 | bowloutcome  = 
 | bcsbowl      = 
 | ranking      = no
 | ranking2     = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = 
 | year         = [[1961 college football season|1961]]
 | name         = [[1961 Drake Bulldogs football team|Drake]]
 | overall      = 5–4
 | conference   = 
 | confstanding = 
 | bowlname     = 
 | bowloutcome  = 
 | bcsbowl      = 
 | ranking      = no
 | ranking2     = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = 
 | year         = [[1962 NCAA College Division football season|1962]]
 | name         = [[1962 Drake Bulldogs football team|Drake]]
 | overall      = 8–2
 | conference   = 
 | confstanding = 
 | bowlname     = 
 | bowloutcome  = 
 | bcsbowl      = 
 | ranking      = no
 | ranking2     = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = 
 | year         = [[1963 NCAA College Division football season|1963]]
 | name         = Drake
 | overall      = 4–4
 | conference   = 
 | confstanding = 
 | bowlname     = 
 | bowloutcome  = 
 | bcsbowl      = 
 | ranking      = no
 | ranking2     = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = 
 | year         = [[1964 NCAA College Division football season|1964]]
 | name         = Drake
 | overall      = 6–4
 | conference   = 
 | confstanding = 
 | bowlname     = 
 | bowloutcome  = 
 | bcsbowl      = 
 | ranking      = no
 | ranking2     = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Subtotal
 | name       = Drake
 | overall    = 27–19
 | confrecord = 
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record End
 | overall  = 50–63–1
 | bowls    = no
 | poll     = no
 | polltype = 
 | legend   = no
}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{Footballstats |nfl=bus-mertes |espn= |cbs= |yahoo= |si= |pfr=M/MertBu20 |rotoworld= }}

{{Navboxes
|list =
{{Bradley Braves football coach navbox}}
{{Kansas State Wildcats football coach navbox}}
{{Drake Bulldogs football coach navbox}}
{{1969 Minnesota Vikings}}
}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mertes, Bus}}
[[Category:1921 births]]
[[Category:2002 deaths]]
[[Category:American football running backs]]
[[Category:Baltimore Colts (1947–1950) players]]
[[Category:Bradley Braves football coaches]]
[[Category:Chicago Cardinals players]]
[[Category:Denver Broncos coaches]]
[[Category:Drake Bulldogs football coaches]]
[[Category:Iowa Hawkeyes football players]]
[[Category:Iowa Pre-Flight Seahawks football players]]
[[Category:Kansas State Wildcats football coaches]]
[[Category:Los Angeles Dons players]]
[[Category:Minnesota Vikings coaches]]
[[Category:New York Giants players]]
[[Category:San Francisco 49ers players]]
[[Category:Players of American football from Chicago]]