Hall of Fame
Position: Coach
Years: West Virginia Wesleyan (1920, 1922-24), Washington U. in St. Louis [MO] (1925-27), Penn State (1930-48)
Place of Birth: Corning, NY
Date of Birth: Nov. 24, 1893
Place of Death: State College, PA
Date of Death: June 6, 1969
Bob Higgins distinguished himself at Penn State in 1947, when he led the Nittany Lions to only the second unbeaten, untied regular-season record in the school's history. When his club tied Southern Methodist, 13-13, in the 1948 Cotton Bowl, it marked only the second time that Penn State had played in a bowl. The 1922 Lions were the first, losing, 14-3, to Southern Cal in the Rose Bowl. In 19 seasons at PSU, Higgins compiled a 91-57-11 record. An All-America end on the 1919 Penn State team, Higgins began his coaching career at West Virginia Wesleyan in 1920, moved to Washington University in 1925 and returned to his alma mater as an assistant coach in 1928. He was named the Lion head coach in 1930 and served in that capacity for the next 19 years. His all-time coaching record stood at 123-83-16 when poor health forced his retirement in 1948. Dick Harlow and Hugo Bezdek, who coached Higgins at Penn State, agreed his was "a terrific end", and during his four varsity seasons, the Lions rolled to a 28-8-1 record.
