Joe Merten

Joseph H. Merten (February 23, 1959 – March 19, 2008) was an American basketball player and coach. He played small forward and his listed height was .

Biography Merten attended the University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire from 1977 to 1981 and played for head coach Ken Anderson's Blugolds men's basketball team. Merten played in 113 games (93 of which he started) for the Blugolds, who appeared in the NAIA Final Four during his final two seasons (1980, 1981). During his four years with the Blugolds, Merten accumulated 1,193 points, 598 rebounds and 439 assists. He named to the All-Wisconsin State University Athletic Conference Team three times.

In 1979 Merten was a member of the United States men's national basketball team at the World University Games. The team, which featured future NBA player Kevin McHale, won a gold medal. He played exhibition games with the Milwaukee Bucks during the 1981 NBA preseason, but was cut from their regular season roster. He made two unsuccessful NBA tryouts during the summer of 1982 with the Bucks and Indiana Pacers. He appeared in the 1982 CBA All-Star game as a member of the Dusters. Merten signed with the Las Vegas Silvers in 1982, but was traded during the season to the Wisconsin Flyers. He was named head coach of the Flyers before the 1985–86 season. He was the youngest coach in the CBA at the time of his hiring. It was created by Merten's family following his death on March 19, 2008. The award is given to an assistant coach, community coach, or student coach on a Blugolds sports team.