Community remembers former Michigan State Hockey Coach and Athletic Director

Mason was 635-270-69 in 23 seasons with the Spartans, leading MSU to the NCAA tournament 19 times.

“You really got to know the guy and got to know how much he cared about this community so, he is right there at the top when it comes to Spartans”, Michigan State Athletic Director Mark Hollis said.

“I think the one thing I look back on is the consistency that we were able to maintain over all those years”, Mason told the school’s web site when he was inducted into the MSU hall of fame in 2010.

In 1973, he moved on to Bowling Green, establishing the Falcons as a national hockey power.

Mason’s Michigan State career began with the 1979-80 season when he replaced the legendary Amo Bessone.

Boston College’s Jerry York, a former Clarkson coach, has since passed Mason and has accumulated 1,012 victories, but Mason remains second on the all-time list.

During his 36 year coaching career he was named the American Hockey Coaches Association National Coach of the Year once (1992), and CCHA coach of the year seven times. He also coached the first college player – Joe Murphy – to be taken first overall in the NHL Draft in 1986 by the Detroit Red Wings.

Mason was one of the co-creators of the CCHA in 1972 and won 10 conference regular-season titles as a coach – three with Bowling Green and seven with Michigan State – and 13 postseason titles.