Americo J. "Mertz" Mortorelli (March 3, 1921 – July 1, 1985) was an American

college football College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. It was through collegiate competition that gridiron football American football in the United States, firs ...

coach. He served as the head football coach at the

University of Wisconsin–Superior The University of Wisconsin–Superior (UW–Superior or UWS) is a Public university, public liberal arts university in Superior, Wisconsin, United States. UW–Superior grants associate, bachelor's, master's and specialist's degrees. The univ ...

from 1954 to 1969 and from 1975 to 1983, compiling a record of 52–176–13. Mortorelli attended Wisconsin–Superior when it was known as Superior State Teachers College, lettering in football,

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...

, and

boxing Boxing is a combat sport and martial art. Taking place in a boxing ring, it involves two people – usually wearing protective equipment, such as boxing glove, protective gloves, hand wraps, and mouthguards – throwing Punch (combat), punch ...

. In 1949 he received master's degrees in education and physical education from the

University of Wisconsin–Madison The University of Wisconsin–Madison (University of Wisconsin, Wisconsin, UW, UW–Madison, or simply Madison) is a public land-grant research university in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. It was founded in 1848 when Wisconsin achieved st ...

. At Wisconsin–Superior, Mortorelli also coached

wrestling Wrestling is a martial art, combat sport, and form of entertainment that involves grappling with an opponent and striving to obtain a position of advantage through different throws or techniques, within a given ruleset. Wrestling involves di ...

tennis Tennis is a List of racket sports, racket sport that is played either individually against a single opponent (singles (tennis), singles) or between two teams of two players each (doubles (tennis), doubles). Each player uses a tennis racket st ...

golf Golf is a club-and-ball sport in which players use various Golf club, clubs to hit a Golf ball, ball into a series of holes on a golf course, course in as few strokes as possible. Golf, unlike most ball games, cannot and does not use a standa ...

, and track. He died on July 1, 1985, in

Superior, Wisconsin Superior (; ) is a city in Douglas County, Wisconsin, United States, and its county seat. The population was 26,751 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Located at the western end of Lake Superior in northwestern Wisconsin, the city l ...

, after suffering a heart attack.

Head coaching record

College

References

External links

Wisconsin Football Coaches Association profile

Wisconsin–Superior Hall of Fame profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mortorelli, Mertz 1921 births 1985 deaths American men's basketball players Wisconsin–Superior Yellowjackets athletic directors Wisconsin–Superior Yellowjackets football coaches Wisconsin–Superior Yellowjackets football players Wisconsin–Superior Yellowjackets men's basketball coaches Wisconsin–Superior Yellowjackets men's basketball players Wisconsin–Superior Yellowjackets boxers College golf coaches in the United States College tennis coaches in the United States College track and field coaches in the United States College wrestling coaches in the United States High school football coaches in Michigan University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Education alumni People from Ironwood, Michigan Players of American football from Michigan 20th-century American sportsmen