MONROE — Clarence Bruess passed away on Wednesday, Jan. 4 after serving as Monroe’s Athletic Director and cross country coach for years.
Bruess led the boys cross country team to state titles in 1973, 1974 and 1979. Monroe made 13 other state appearances in Bruess’s three-decade plus career: 1975 (B-eighth), 1976 (B-sixth, G-eighth), 1977 (B-fifth), 1978 (B-third), 1979 (G-eighth), 1981 (B-fifth, G-fifth), 1982 (B-third, G-fifth), 1982 (B-eleventh, G-fourth), 1985 (B-twelfth, G-fifth) 1986 (B-sixteenth, G-eighth) 1987 (G-eleventh) 1988 (G-sixth) and 1990 (B-sixteenth). In 1996, he was inducted into the Wisconsin Cross Country Coaches Association Hall of Fame.
While Bruess had a decorated career, he is remembered for more than his accolades. Current head coach Scott Mosher began his cross country career just one year after Bruess retired but got to know Bruess on a personal level as backdoor neighbors.
“What I knew about Coach Bruess was all surface level stuff — like that he was a hall of fame coach with three state championships in cross country,” Mosher said. “That in itself is awesome and something any coach strives to achieve. But I learned over time that this was just an end result of the great person and coach that Clarence was.”
Coach Bruess invested in his athletes and their families, which led to much of his success.
“He remembered in detail his runners and their families,” Mosher said. “He would talk about the successes, but more than anything he talked about the love he had for his athletes and the bonds they shared with him and each other. I would see backyard gatherings of alumni that he stayed in touch with for 50+ years. If I met anyone that ran for him, they almost immediately spoke of how much they respected Coach Bruess as a person.”
Even though Bruess had been retired for some years, he still attended home cross country meets. He could be found at the first and last turn of Monroe’s Bruess Invitational, a meet named after himself. This year, he even traveled to Prairie du Chien to watch the Hounds in sectionals and qualify for state.
“I showed up to his house to show him our sectional plaques, only to find that they drove all the way to Prairie du Chien and watched the meet in person,” Mosher said. “It shouldn’t have surprised me because Clarence often exclaimed, ‘cross country is the greatest sport in the world.’”
To honor Coach Bruess’s passion for education and learning, the Bruess family encourages memorial donations in his name sent directly to St. Victor School, Monroe High School, or Monroe Public Library. The family offers deep gratitude for the tender loving care provided by the doctors, nurses and staff of the Monroe Hospital.
