The Zeitgeist List · coaching

Bernard Mertes

Followed Bill Meek. Bernard Mertes moved Kansas State from Regional Program IV to Regional Program III in 5 seasons.

15–34

1955–1959 · 1 stint

Career arc

His real stature score, season by season, across every program he’s coached — so a stretch that stays in one tier the whole way can still climb or sink on the line, not just flatten out. Node color marks the tier reached. Which program a stretch belongs to is carried by the shaded lane behind it.

Reached Regional Program in his 1st career season — faster than 20% of the 925 FBS coaches who have ever reached Regional Program (rank #1 of 925 by seasons-to-arrival).

Kansas State, 5 seasons

+1.3

Regional Program IV → Regional Program IV.

The big-game ledger

How he does in the games that matter most — rivalry record, performance broken out by real opponent tier, one-score games, and his toughest historical matchup.

1–4 against his rivals. Winless in 5 tries against Bud Wilkinson.

Rivalry record

1–4

20.0% · 1 rival

One-score games

6–8

42.9% · margin ≤8

vs. Blue Blood or better

0–2

0.0%

Rivalry ledger

Kansas1–420%

The toughest matchup

vs. Bud Wilkinson0–5

5 meetings, 1955–1959

’55 L’56 L’57 L’58 L’59 L

0% win rate across a real, 5-meeting series — short of the bar this site uses before badging a series “Nemesis.” Shown here as the toughest matchup on record, not an algorithmic crown.

Performance by opponent class

Dynasty

0–2 0.0%

Blue Blood

0–6 0.0%

Power Program

0–2 0.0%

National Program

1–13 7.1%

Regional Program

11–10 52.4%

Coaching career

1955–1959

Kansas Statecaretaker

Regional Program IV → Regional Program III

Bernard Mertes moved Kansas State from Regional Program IV to Regional Program III in 5 seasons.

9th-best Kansas State tenure of 18 by the numbers.

Followed Bill Meek (1951–1954) · succeeded by Doug Weaver (1960–1966).

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