Bass, a native of Petersburg, Virginia, was a member of the winningest football team in William & Mary history. Bass captained the 1942 Indians, which compiled a 9–1–1 record. He later was an assistant coach at his alma mater when the 1947 Indians were 9–1. In 1974, Bass was an assistant football coach for Birmingham with the World Football League, a league formed in the early 1970s to rival the National Football League. He became head coach the following year. The league lured such NFL name players as Larry Csonka, Paul Warfield and Jim Kiick. It lasted 18 months, losing US$30,000,000.