William D. “Bill” Merris ’56 H’01 died on June 13, 2023, just a week short of his 93rd birthday on June 20. For students, staff, faculty and friends, Merris embodied
the kind of life-changing people that are found at Illinois College.

Merris graduated from Illinois College with a degree in economics and physical education after serving in the Air Force. He was an all-conference basketball and baseball player and sports editor of the Jacksonville Journal Courier newspaper. He returned to his alma mater in 1958 as a coach and associate professor and is best known for his 38-year tenure as the head coach of men’s basketball.

Merris was honored as an Illinois College Hall of Fame Inductee in 1984, a Distinguished Alumni Award recipient in 1990, and a Faculty Ambassador Award recipient in 1997. He retired in 2001, but continued to serve the IC education department through 2015. Even in retirement, Coach Merris remained a regular — often daily — visitor to campus and a dedicated fan of IC athletics. The playing surface of Sherman Gymnasium in Bruner Fitness and Recreation Center was officially named the Bill Merris Court in 2008.

Merris published his autobiography, “Let Me Tell You a Story,” which he dedicated to his late wife Marilyn Hurley Merris ’64, in 2001. When she died in 2003, he
established the Marilyn Merris Endowed Scholarship and the Bill and Marilyn Education Program Endowment in her honor. The endowment has allowed hundreds of students to receive tutoring and helped establish IC’s Tomorrow’s Teachers Program. Bill once said that meeting Marilyn and the many friendships he made were the highlights of his career. One of his closest friends was Katie Carls, executive director of the Office of Advancement and Alumni Engagement at IC.

“Bill considered himself a lucky person, but I believe that we are lucky to have known him,” said Carls. “He achieved a level of success at IC that may never be matched — not for the number of wins he had, but for the number of people he impacted. He will long be remembered for his humor, his stories and his generous spirit.”

At the time of his passing, Merris was a member of the Sturtevant Society, the Illinois College Society and the IC Varsity Club. Each year, the College hosts a tournament in his name. Bill is survived by one sister, Donna (Robyn Huffman) Merris, and two brothers, Robert Merris and Harold Merris ’59 (Judy).

Illinois College will host a Celebration of Life for Bill Merris Oct. 15 from 10-11 a.m. in Sherman Gymnasium. Visit ic.edu/BillMerris to learn more and to make a memorial gift to IC athletics.