Former Spartan Hockey Coach Ron Mason To Receive John MacInnes Award
Former Spartan Hockey Coach Ron Mason To Receive John MacInnes Award
Mason becomes the second Spartan hockey coach to receive the honor.
Jan. 21, 2003
EAST LANSING, Mich. - Former Spartan hockey coach (1979-2002) and current Michigan State Athletics Director Ron Mason has been selected to receive the 21st annual John MacInnes Award by the American Hockey Coaches Association. The award, which is named after John MacInnes (1956-1982) who captured three NCAA Championships (1962, 1965 and 1975) while the head coach at Michigan Tech, recognizes those people who have shown a great concern for amateur hockey and youth programs. The recipients have had high winning percentage, as well as outstanding graduation rates among their former players. The winners of this award have helped young men grow not only as hockey players but also more importantly as men.
"When I first started coaching in 1966, I was in the process of building the program at Lake Superior State and John MacInnes did a lot to help me out in our first few years," said Mason. "He was willing to play us when no one else would. At the time, Michigan Tech was one of the top teams in the country. One of my biggest and most memorable wins was the first time that we beat Tech in its building.
"That was one of the things that he taught me and something that I always carried with me through my coaching days - giving emerging teams a chance to play. To be able to win this award is something that I truly appreciate."
Mason becomes the second former Spartan coach to receive the honor as Amo Bessone, who served as the MSU's head coach from 1951 to 1979 won the inaugural award in 1983.
Mason, the winningest coach in college hockey history, finished his 36-year career with a record of 924-380-83. In 23 years at Michigan State, he posted a 635-270-69 mark. He is the only coach in college hockey history with more than 750 victories. His career highlights include an NCAA Championship at Michigan State in 1986 and an NAIA Championship with Lake Superior State in 1972. He led MSU to 17 CCHA regular-season and playoff titles and guided 23 teams to the NCAA Tournament, an all-time record. In addition, he coached 34 All-Americans and 46 former Spartans who played in the National Hockey League.
In 1966, Mason began his coaching career as the first head coach at Lake Superior State where he also served as assistant athletics director. He guided the Lakers to five NAIA Tournament appearances, including the 1972 National Championship. Three of his other teams finished as NAIA runners-up.
In 1973, he moved on to Bowling Green, establishing the Falcons as a national hockey power. In six seasons, he led Bowling Green to three CCHA regular-season titles (1976, 1978, 1979) and three playoff championships (1977, 1978, 1979). His 1977-78 squad finished third in the NCAA Tournament with an impressive 31-8 record. The following season, his BGSU established a then-national record with 37 wins.
Mason's Michigan State career began with the 1979-80 season when he replaced the legendary Bessone. The seven-time CCHA Coach of the Year led Michigan State to league regular-season championships in 1985, 1986, 1989, 1990, 1998, 1999 and 2001. He also guided the Spartans to CCHA playoff crowns in 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1987, 1989, 1990, 1998, 2000 and 2001. In 2001, the CCHA honored Mason by renaming the CCHA playoff trophy - The Mason Cup - in his honor due to his development of the league and his success behind the bench.
Among his Spartan coaching highlights are on March 12, 1993, Mason reached a personal milestone as MSU defeated Kent, 6-5, making him the winningest U.S. college hockey coach. One season later on March 18, 1994, a win over Bowling Green established him as the winningest college hockey coach in North America. In 2001-02, Mason's final campaign as the Spartan coach, he recorded his unprecedented 900th-win as a college hockey coach with a victory over Ferris State (Oct. 20, 2001).
Mason coached MSU's only two Hobey Baker Award winners - Kip Miller in 1990 and Ryan Miller in 2001. 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 served on the American Hockey Association Board of Directors from 1973 to 1977 and is a former member of the NCAA Ice Hockey Rules Committee. He currently is part of the NCAA Ice Hockey Committee.
He is active in a number of local organizations and charities. He is very involved with Sparrow Hospital in Lansing, where he recently completed a four-year term on the Sparrow Foundation Board and has set up the Ron Mason Fund for Pediatric Rehabilitation, which has raised over $300,000. He also served as the honorary chairperson for the Children's Miracle Network which has raised more than $10 million over 13 years, and has worked with the Coaches For Kids campaign, which has raised $1.9 million in the last three years for a pediatrics emergency room at Sparrow Hospital. In addition, he is on the committee for the broomball game for the Legal Eagles, which benefits the Boys and Girls Club of Lansing and spent several years on the Lansing Safety Council.
Mason will receive the award at the April 26 banquet at the American Hockey Coaches Convention in Naples, Fla.
Former John MacInnes Award Winners 1983 Amo Bessone, Michigan State 1984 Jack Riley, Army 1985 Bob Johnson, Wisconsin 1986 Murray Armstrong, Denver 1987 Ned Harkness, RPI, Cornell, Union 1988 Vic Heyliger, Michigan, Air Force 1989 Charlie Holt, New Hampshire 1990 Murray Murdoch, Yale 1991 Bill Cleary, Harvard 1992 Len Ceglarski, Clarkson, Boston College 1993 Don Roberts, Gustavus Adolphus 1994 Herb Brooks, Minnesota 1995 Bob Peters, Bemidji 1996 Fernie Flaman, Northeastern 1997 Bill O'Flaherty, Clarkson 1998 Bill Selman, UND, UMD, St. Louis, LSSU 1999 John "Gino" Gasparini, North Dakota 2000 Bill Riley, Jr., Lehigh, Lowell 2001 Jim Cross, Vermont 2002 Ed Saugestad, Augsburg College 2003 Ron Mason, LSSU, BGSU, and MSU