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 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.
Before beginning his coaching career, Gross was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army and served in France and Germany during World War II, participating in the Normandy landings at Omaha Beach.