(Written: June 2012)
Perhaps no one individual played a greater role in the growth and development of athletics at UW-Superior than Americo “Mertz” Mortorelli. A three-sport athlete at UW-Superior, Mortorelli parlayed a college football career into a professional contract with the New York Giants in 1949. Years later, in 1954, Mortorelli returned to UW-Superior to assume the roles of coach and athletics director. He coached a combined 109 seasons in baseball, basketball, football, golf, gymnastics, tennis, track & field and wrestling, compiling a career record of 862-534-26.
Along the way, Mortorelli led teams to four conference championships and helped more than 50 athletes receive conference and national honors. Mortorelli would spend 31 years (1954-85) as athletics director at UW-Superior and would take a department with four varsity sports and grow that number to 16, all the while helping to recruit more than 1,500 student-athletes.
Mortorelli served on several boards and committees, including a position on the United States Olympic Wrestling Committee. Mortorelli’s dedication to college athletics left an indelible mark on UW-Superior that led to his induction into 13 halls of fame as well as other honors – UW-Superior’s gymnasium and the road outside both bear his name.
Mortorelli passed away in 1985.