Elmer Gross
| Sport(s) | Basketball |
|---|---|
| Current position | |
| Title | Head coach |
| Team | Penn State |
| Biographical details | |
| Born |
January 31, 1917 Homestead, Pennsylvania |
| Died | June 29, 2007 (aged 90) Chandler, Arizona |
| Playing career | |
| 1940–1942 | Penn State |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1945–1950 | Penn State (asst.) |
| 1950–1954 | Penn State |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Championships | |
| 1954 Final Four | |
Elmer Gross (January 31, 1917 – June 29, 2007) was an American basketball player and coach.
Dr. Gross was a professor emeritus of physical education at Penn State and earned his bachelor's, master's and doctorate degrees from the university. He was a key figure as both a player and coach on Penn State's two basketball teams (1942 and 1954) to finish a season ranked in the nation's top 10 and was part of the Nittany Lions' first three NCAA Tournament appearances.
Gross coached Penn State for five seasons, from 1950 to 1954, posting an 80–40 record and a 66.7 winning percentage, tied for the best mark among Penn State coaches that served more than one season. He guided the Nittany Lions to a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances. The first, in 1952, made him the first coach in the NCAA Tournament to have also appeared as a player. He capped his coaching career by guiding All-American Jesse Arnelle and the Nittany Lions to the 1954 Final Four. Penn State posted an upset of eighth-ranked LSU and ended Notre Dame's 18-game winning streak to advance to Kansas City where they eventually finished third after a loss to eventual champion LaSalle. Penn State rebounded to defeat Southern California and claimed the No. 9 ranking in the final Associated Press poll.
Gross took the reins of the Penn State program from his mentor, John Lawther, whom he played for and served under as a graduate assistant coach for five seasons. Known for the masterful use of his bench and a full-court press which vexed opponents, Gross also implemented an opportunistic fast-break offense which saw the Nittany Lions top 1,000 points for a season for the first time in 1950.
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