Bill Bless
| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born | May 27, 1939 Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S. |
| Died | May 6, 2016 (aged 76) Greenwood, Indiana, U.S. |
| Playing career | |
| Football | |
| 1959–1962 | Indiana Central |
| Position(s) | Lineman |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| Football | |
| 1964–1965 | Greensburg HS (IN) (assistant) |
| 1966–1967 | Greensburg HS (IN) |
| 1968–1969 | Whiteland HS (IN) |
| 1970–1971 | Indiana Central (assistant) |
| 1972–1993 | Indiana Central / Indianapolis |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 114–99–9 (college football) 26–21–1 (high school football) |
| Tournaments | Football 0–1 (NCAA D-III playoffs) |
William P. Bless (May 27, 1939 – May 6, 2016) was an American football and track coach. He is best known for his long tenure as head football coach at the University of Indianapolis (UIndy), where he led the Greyhound program from 1972 to 1993, compiling a record of 114–99–9. He holds the UIndy records for most seasons coached and most career victories.
Bless was born in Indianapolis and attended Warren Central High School on the city's east side, where he was co-captain of the football team and most valuable player in his senior year.[1] He went on to UIndy (then known as Indiana Central) and was a four-year letterman from 1959 through 1962. He then posted a record of 26–21–1 as head football coach at Greensburg and Whiteland high schools, before returning to his alma mater in 1970 as head track coach and assistant football coach under Dick Nyers. He succeeded Nyers as head football coach two years later.[2] Under his direction, the Greyhounds qualified for the NCAA Division III football championship playoffs in 1975 and won Heartland Collegiate Conference titles in 1978 and 1981; he was honored as conference coach of the year in each of those seasons. Bless was later inducted into the Indiana Football Hall of Fame (1994) and University of Indianapolis Athletics Hall of Fame (2003).[3]
A longtime resident of Greenwood, Indiana, Bless served on the Greenwood City Council for more than twenty years, and as acting mayor of Greenwood in 1991.[4]
Head coaching record
[edit]College football
[edit]| Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indiana Central Greyhounds (Indiana Collegiate Conference) (1972–1977) | |||||||||
| 1972 | Indiana Central | 4–6 | 2–3 | T–4th | |||||
| 1973 | Indiana Central | 7–3 | 2–3 | T–4th | |||||
| 1974 | Indiana Central | 5–5 | 2–4 | T–4th | |||||
| 1975 | Indiana Central | 8–3 | 5–1 | 2nd | L NCAA Division III Quarterfinal | ||||
| 1976 | Indiana Central | 6–4 | 3–2 | 3rd | |||||
| 1977 | Indiana Central | 6–3–1 | 2–1–1 | 3rd | |||||
| Indiana Central / Indianapolis Greyhounds (Heartland Collegiate Conference) (1978–1989) | |||||||||
| 1978 | Indiana Central | 7–3 | 4–2 | 1st | |||||
| 1979 | Indiana Central | 4–6 | 2–4 | 5th | |||||
| 1980 | Indiana Central | 5–4–2 | 3–3–1 | 4th | |||||
| 1981 | Indiana Central | 7–4 | 6–1 | 1st | |||||
| 1982 | Indiana Central | 4–6 | 3–4 | T–5th | |||||
| 1983 | Indiana Central | 6–3–1 | 4–1–1 | 2nd | |||||
| 1984 | Indiana Central | 8–2 | 4–2 | T–2nd | |||||
| 1985 | Indiana Central | 7–1–2 | 4–1–1 | 3rd | |||||
| 1986 | Indianapolis | 7–2 | 5–1 | 2nd | |||||
| 1987 | Indianapolis | 6–4 | 3–2 | 3rd | |||||
| 1988 | Indianapolis | 5–4–1 | 1–2–1 | 4th | |||||
| 1989 | Indianapolis | 4–5 | 2–2 | T–2nd | |||||
| Indianapolis Greyhounds (Midwest Intercollegiate Football Conference) (1990–1993) | |||||||||
| 1990 | Indianapolis | 3–6–1 | 3–6–1 | 8th | |||||
| 1991 | Indianapolis | 2–8 | 2–8 | 10th | |||||
| 1992 | Indianapolis | 1–8–1 | 1–8–1 | T–9th | |||||
| 1993 | Indianapolis | 2–9 | 1–9 | 11th | |||||
| Indiana Central / Indianapolis: | 114–99–9 | 64–70–7 | |||||||
| Total: | 114–99–9 | ||||||||
| National championship Conference title Conference division title or championship game berth | |||||||||
References
[edit]- ^ "Bless, Bill". Indiana Football Coaches Association. Retrieved December 16, 2024.
- ^ "Dick Nyers Resigns Post As Indiana Central Coach". Palladium-Item. Richmond, Indiana. Associated Press. November 26, 1971. p. 11. Retrieved December 9, 2021 – via Newspapers.com
.
- ^ Ryan Thorpe (May 11, 2016). "Longtime UIndy coach Bill Bless passes away". University of Indianapolis Athletics. Retrieved December 16, 2024.
- ^ "Bless, Bill". Indiana Football Coaches Association. Retrieved December 16, 2024.
