Bob Higgins ( American football ) Robert A . Higgins ( November 24 , 1894 – June 6 , 1969 ) was an American football player and coach . He played college football at Pennsylvania State University , where he was a three - time All - America , and then with professionally with the Canton Bulldogs in 1920 and 1921 . Higgins served as the head football coach at West Virginia Wesleyan College ( 1920 , 1922 – 1924 ) , Washington University in St . Louis ( 1925 – 1927 ) , and Pennsylvania State University , compiling a career college football record of 123 – 83 – 16 . He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as a coach in 1954 . Playing career . Collegiate . Higgins played at Penn State from 1914 to 1916 , and was named an All - America n in 1915 . After spending World War I in the service , he returned to captain Penn State , earning All - America honors again in 1919 . In a 20 – 0 victory over Pittsburgh that season , Higgins caught a pass from Walter Hess and turned it into a thrilling 92 - yard touchdown and was immortalized in Knute Rockne ' s " Great Football Plays . " Professional . In 1920 and 1921 , Higgins played end for the Canton Bulldogs of the National Football League . Coaching career . Higgins coached four seasons at West Virginia Wesleyan ( 1920 , 1922 – 1924 ) , and three seasons at Washington University in St . Louis . He returned to Penn State in 1928 , first as an assistant coach , before becoming head coach in 1930 . He served as head coach there for the next 19 seasons . He led the Nittany Lions to only the second unbeaten season in the school ' s history , culminating in a tie versus Southern Methodist University in the 1948 Cotton Bowl Classic . It marked only the second time that Penn State had played in a bowl game . Ill health forced Higgins ' retirement after the 1948 season , but he remained at Penn State as a special assistant in the Physical Education Department until his retirement in November 1951 . His overall coaching record was 123 – 83 – 16 . He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1954 . Family . Higgins was the brother of Margaret Sanger , famed campaigner for birth control , family planning and social reform . He is the great grandfather , of current Penn State running back Joe Suhey and former quarterback Kevin Suhey . He was the father - in - law of All - America n guard and fellow College Football Hall of Fame inductee , Steve Suhey , and grandfather of Nittany Lion standouts Paul Suhey and Larry Suhey and former Chicago Bears fullback , Matt Suhey . The Higgins - Suhey family has been called the " first family " of Nittany Lion football , with 90 years of involvement with the Penn State football program . More recently , Paul ' s son Kevin and Matt ' s son Joe have played for the Nittany LIons ( Higgins ' great grandchildren ) . His youngest daughter Nancy Higgins married James J Dooley Jr , who was a second team All American Center in 1952 at Penn State . Their son James J Dooley III also played football at Penn State from 1979 to 1981 . Their other son Peter Dooley was on the Cross Country and Track & Field team at Penn State from 1982 - 84 . Bob Higgin ' s eldest grandson , Robert Lyford , son of Higgins eldest daughter Mary Ann , played basketball at Penn State during the late 1960s .