player_team death_date current_team death_place birth_place coach_years championships player_years coach_team current_title sport birth_date article_title name
penn state 29 june 2007 penn state chandler , arizona homestead , pennsylvania 1945 -- 1950 1950 -- 1954 1954 final four 1940 -- 1942 penn state -lrb- asst. -rrb- penn state head coach basketball 31 january 1917 elmer gross
 elmer gross
elmer gross

elmer gross -lrb- january 31 , 1917 -- june 29 , 2007 -rrb- 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 -lrb- 1942 and 1954 -rrb- to finish a season ranked in the nation 's top 10 and was part of the nittany lions ' first three ncaa tournament appearances .
