When people state someone bleeds team colors, it might be true for head men’s basketball coach Herman A. “Bubba” Meyer III, who has spent his entire life as a part of the Men’s Basketball program at St. Mary’s University, and begins his fourth season as the Head Coach in 2026-27.

On March 21, 2023, Meyer was named the 17th head coach in Rattlers’ history, though only the fourth in 60 years, as he follows the longest-tenured and winningest coaches in history in Ed Messbarger (1964-1978), his father Buddy Meyer (B.A. ‘65) (1978-2005) and Jim Zeleznak (B.A. ‘79) (2005-2023).

THE MEYER FILE
College: St. Mary's (B.A. 2001; M.A. 2004)   Hometown: San Antonio   Experience: 4th Year as HC; 26th at StMU
YEAR-BY-YEAR REVIEW
Year	Record	Highlights
2023-24	12-16	Named 17th Head Coach
2024-25	20-11	NCAA Second Round
2025-26	22-10	NCAA Second Round
Totals
3 Yrs.	54-37

The 2025-26 team made history, becoming the first StMU team to win a game at the Lone Star Conference Men’s Basketball Tournament, and they returned to the NCAA Tournament for a second-straight year, upsetting second-seeded and No. 13 Eastern New Mexico in the First Round, 73-70. The team finished 22-10, marking the first time in the school’s Division II era that the squad won 20 or more games in back-to-back years. Senior Damani Claxton was named to the Lone Star All-Conference First Team after earning Preseason Player of the Year honors. In two years, Claxton scored 971 points with the Rattlers. The team won its first seven games of the year, the second-longest streak to begin a season in school history and went on to break the school record for steals (278) and finish second with 122 blocked shots.

In 2024-25, the Rattlers posted a record of 20-11 and went 1-1 at the NCAA Tournament, upsetting Lone Star Champion Lubbock Christian in the first game. Both Claxton and Lachlan Bofinger were Second-Team NABC All-Region and Lone Star All-Conference First-Team selections. Meyer’s team won 11 straight, going undefeated in January to establish the longest winning streak in the school’s Division II history.

In his first season as head coach, Meyer led the team to a 12-16 record and saw Bofinger earn Lone Star All-Conference Third-Team honors after leading the conference in double-doubles with 14. 

He grew up watching his father, Buddy Meyer coach the Rattlers for 27 years, and he played for his dad, earning All-Conference honors in 2000, as well as the Brother Bill Siemer Free Throw Accuracy Award. He also led the team in assist-to-turnover ratio all four seasons and his teammates selected him as the Most Valuable Player in his senior campaign. 

Meyer spent 22 seasons on the sideline as either assistant or associate head coach, as immediately upon the completion of his playing career, he transitioned to coaching. Meyer was the starting point guard all four years, and he helped lead his team to two National Tournament appearances, including the Rattlers’ first trip to the NCAA Division II National Tournament in 2000-01 -  and has seen some of the greatest moments in Rattlers’ history.

Some of those highlights include earning four-straight National Tournament appearances – including the team’s first-ever Sweet 16 nod in 2013; winning the Heartland Conference Tournament three of four years in 2012, 2013 and 2015; and he’s seen six teams in his coaching tenure reach the 20-win plateau, most recently in 2025-26.

During his 22 years as an assistant with the Rattlers, St. Mary’s posted a 334-278 overall record with nine Heartland Conference titles (three regular season and six tournament) and nine trips to the NCAA Division II South Central Region Tournament. He was part of the coaching staffs that earned both the 2004-05 and 2014-15 Heartland Conference Coach of the Year honors.
He has helped the Rattlers earn All-Lone Star Conference honors 14 times, and All-Heartland Conference honors 36 times over the last 25 years, while two have earned Heartland Player of the Year honors, three have earned Defensive Player of the Year, six have picked up Freshman of the Year, and four have earned Newcomer of the Year. 

The 2012-13 season also saw the program’s first All-American since entering the NCAA, as Kevin Kotzur earned Daktronics All-America First Team while finishing his career as the Heartland Conference’s All-Time leading rebounder and scorer. 

Meyer is a 2001 graduate of St. Mary’s University with a bachelor’s degree in exercise and sport science. He graduated with a master’s degree in education leadership from St. Mary’s in 2004.

He is married to the former Vanessa Peterson. The couple has three sons, Grayson, Dillon and Chase, and two daughters, Harper and Quinn.