The only basketball coach to lead the Penn State basketball team to a NCAA Final Four has died at age 90.
Elmer Gross passed away on June 29 near his home in Chandler, Ariz., a Penn State spokesperson said yesterday.
Gross received his bachelor's, master's and doctorate degrees at Penn State and was a key player on the Nittany Lions basketball team for three seasons. Gross was the leading scorer in his senior season in 1942 when they reached the NCAA Tournament for the first time. The 1942 team posted an 18-3 record and was ranked No. 10 nationally in the former Dunkel Index.
Gross was a member of two Penn State teams to rank in the top 10 teams in the country and was a participant in its first three NCAA Tournament appearances.
A few years after graduation, Gross returned to Penn State as an assistant coach in 1945. In his first year as head coach in 1950, Gross implemented a new offensive strategy, which helped the Lions score more than 1,000 points in a single season for the first time in Penn State history.
Gross made history once again when he led Penn State to the NCAA Tournament in 1952 and 1954, making him the first to reach the tournament both as a player and a coach.
In his final season as head coach in 1954, Gross led the Lions to its only Final Four, where they upset the likes of powerhouses Louisiana State University and Notre Dame. Once in the Final Four, the Lions fell to eventual champion LaSalle University but turned around to beat Southern California and claim the third-place spot.
At the end of his five-year tenure as head coach, Gross left Penn State with an 80-40 record. His 66.7 winning percentage as head coach remains tied for the best among coaches who stayed for more than one season.
Prior to his coaching stint at Penn State, Gross was a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army. Gross served in both France and Germany during World War II, when he also aided in the Normandy invasion. While serving in 1944, Gross was injured in duty and received the Bronze Star and Purple Heart.
Gross culminated his Penn State career as a Professor Emeritus of Physical Education. He continued to teach at Penn State until his 1978 retirement.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
