Tim Bless joined the Franklin College football staff in 2026 as cornerbacks coach.
Bless, the winningest head coach in Columbus North and Columbus High School history, guided the Bull Dogs to a 147-95 record and school-best .607 win percentage from 2000 through 2021. During his 22 seasons, CNHS claimed four Conference Indiana championships (2004, 2018, 2020 and 2021), three sectional titles (2004, 2006, 2007) and three regional crowns (2004, 2006, 2007) while annually competing in the highest classification of Indiana football.
Bless’ best seasons at Columbus North came in 2004 and 2007, posting a 12-2 mark while winning regional crowns. His overall head coaching record is 159-104, which includes a 12-9 ledger in two seasons at Paoli.
Bless is a 1990 graduate of Greenwood High School, where he competed in football (tight end/cornerback) and track and field and was chosen IFCA honorable mention Academic All-State. He went on to the University of Indianapolis, where he was a defensive back and outside linebacker while playing for his father (head coach Bill Bless) and earned a bachelor’s degree in business education in 1994. Tim led UIndy with 153 tackles and was the team's defensive MVP as a senior, which coincidentally was his father’s last season as the Greyhounds’ head coach. He also was named second team All-Midwest Intercollegiate Football Conference and was the winner of the UIndy Walter Brenneman Sportsmanship Award that season.
Tim Bless began his career in coaching as a Pike High School junior varsity assistant in 1994. He was the defensive coordinator at Lebanon High School from 1995 through 1997. He then served as Paoli's head coach in 1998 and 1999, his Rams claiming a Patoka Lake Athletic Conference title in his second season, before moving to Columbus North in 2000.
Bless is from a well-known football coaching family. His father, Bill, went 114-99-9 in 22 seasons as head coach at UIndy and was previously the head coach at Greensburg and Whiteland high schools. Oldest brother Mark was a head coach at North Vermillion, Mooresville and Avon. Older brother Scott was head coach at Eugene (Ore.) High School and Bloomington North as well as assisting at UIndy and Columbus North. Nephew Tyler, Mark’s son, is a former Franklin College player and currently the head coach at Plainfield.
Tim Bless is in his 33rd year in education, including one year at Pike, three at Lebanon and two at Paoli. He now is in his 27th year as a teacher at Columbus North, currently guiding students in a class on Preparing for College and Careers. He and his wife Jill are parents to two adult children – Gretchen and Luke.
