 Mertes in 1947 | |
| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born | October 6, 1921 Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Died | January 17, 2002 (aged 80) St. Louis Park, Minnesota, U.S. |
| Playing career | |
| 1941 | Iowa |
| 1942–1944 | Iowa Pre-Flight |
| 1945 | Chicago Cardinals |
| 1946 | Los Angeles Dons |
| 1947–1949 | Baltimore Colts |
| 1949 | New York Giants |
| Position(s) | Running back |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1950 | Bradley (backfield) |
| 1951–1952 | Bradley |
| 1953–1954 | Kansas State (backfield) |
| 1955–1959 | Kansas State |
| 1960–1964 | Drake |
| 1965–1966 | Denver Broncos (assistant) |
| 1967–1984 | Minnesota Vikings (assistant) |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 50–63–1 |
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, 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.