Family

Ron Mason was born the son of Harvey Mason, a salesman, and Agnes Mackay Mason, an elementary school teacher. He married the former Marion Bell on June 8, 1963. They have two daughters, Tracy (born 1964) and Cindy (born 1968) and two grandsons, Tyler and Travis. Travis is a sophomore defenseman on the Michigan State University hockey team. Mason has one sister, Marion Mason Rowe.

Education

Mason earned a B.A. in physical education from St. Lawrence University in 1964 and a Masters in physical education from the University of Pittsburgh in 1965. Michigan State University awarded Mason an honorary Doctorate in 2001.

Career as player

Mason played junior hockey with the Ontario Hockey Association’s Peterborough Petes and the Ottawa Junior Canadians. From there Mason enrolled at St. Lawrence University in the upstate town of Canton, New York where he lettered in hockey for three years. In his first season at SLU in 1960-61, Mason and the Skating Saints were NCAA national finalists. In 1961-62, Mason and SLU won the school's first-ever Eastern College Athletic Conference championship and made the NCAA Frozen Four. In his final season, SLU won a school-record 20 games finishing 20-6-1. Mason lead the team in scoring twice earning back-to-back first-team all league honors. Mason was St. Lawrence's only player to earn that distinction until T. J. Trevelyan was named all league in 2005 and 2006.

Career as coach

Mason coached one NAIA program, Lake Superior State, and two NCAA programs, Bowling Green State and Michigan State in 36 seasons from 1966-2002. He won two national titles: NAIA in 1972 with Lake Superior State and NCAA in 1986 with Michigan State. Ron Mason finished his coaching career as the all-time career victories leader in college hockey history with 924 wins. Boston College's Jerry York surpassed Mason's win total on December 31, 2012. Mason is also the career coaching victories leader at Michigan State with 635 wins. He is Bowling Green State's winningest coach by percentage winning over 71 percent of his 229 games at BGSU.

Mason had 33 seasons with a winning record, 30 seasons winning 20 or more games and 11 seasons winning 30 or more games. Mason won ten CCHA regular season championships and a record 13 CCHA tournament titles. He advanced his teams to the NCAA tournament 22 times—six times as the No. 1 seed—making the Frozen Four eight times. Mason was the CCHA coach of the year six times. He won the Spencer Penrose Memorial Trophy as the national coach of the year in 1992.

On January 26, 2002, a media report stated Mason would step down as coach at Michigan State to take over the athletic director position at MSU. On January 28, 2002, Mason made it official he would leave his post as head ice hockey coach to become athletic director.

Lake Superior State

Mason started the hockey program at Lake Superior State University in 1966. In seven seasons at LSSU he produced four 20-win seasons and never lost more than 10 games. He guided the Lakers to the 1972 National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) national championship.

Bowling Green State

In 1973 he moved to Bowling Green State University where he won three Central Collegiate Hockey Association regular season titles and three consecutive CCHA tournament titles in six seasons. In 1977 Bowling Green State earned their first berth in the NCAA tournament. The berth was a first for a team not from the Western Collegiate Hockey Association or Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference in the NCAA tournament's 30 year history. It was the first of three consecutive NCAA tournaments under Mason. BGSU won the third-place game over defending national champion Wisconsin in the 1978 NCAA Frozen Four. In 1978-79 Mason coached BGSU to a then NCAA record 37 wins. The record would be broken in 1984-85 by Mason's own Michigan State team.

Michigan State

Michigan State University Athletic Director Joseph Kearney hired Mason to replace the retiring Amo Bessone on April 1, 1979. In his third season at MSU, Mason guided Michigan State to their first NCAA tournament in 15 seasons. Four seasons later in 1986, Mason led Michigan State to the school's second national title. Michigan State returned to the championship game the following season but lost to North Dakota. On March 12, 1993, with a 6-5 win over Kent State, Mason passed former Boston College coach Len Ceglarski to become college hockey's all-time winningest coach with 674 wins. While at MSU, Mason won a conference-record 10 CCHA tournament championships, including a conference-record four straight from 1982-85. In addition, MSU under Mason won seven CCHA regular season titles, earned 19 NCAA tournament appearances, and earned seven NCAA Frozen Four appearances.

Career as athletic director

Ron Mason began his duties as athletic director on July 1, 2002. Before he officially became athletic director, Mason chose Rick Comley as his successor as hockey coach.

On November 4, 2002, after a disappointing season and a series of off-the-field incidents with players, Mason fired head football coach Bobby Williams with three games left in the season. Mason hired John L. Smith as head football coach on December 20, 2002. Mason fired John L. Smith four years later on November 2, 2006 leaving controversy amongst critics over whether Mason had been effective making his first major hire as athletic director.Following that episode, Mason hired Mark Dantonio as head footbal coach on November 27, 2006 and has since redeemed his coach selection capability.

While athletic director, the Michigan State hockey team won the school's third national title in 2007. Mason is the only person to have won NCAA ice hockey titles as head coach and athletic director.

Mason placed a priority seat licensing program in Spartan Stadium based on years of holding season tickets, contribution to the Ralph Young Fund, and a licensing fee for better seats on top of the price of season tickets. Further updates to increase revenue in Spartan Stadium included a $64 million USD expansion and improvements which include:

• 24 luxury suites
• 800 club seats
• The "Grand Entrance" featuring high ceilings, glass walls, marble floors and a new home for the original Sparty statue
• 18,000-square-foot (1,700 m2) luxury concourse
• Office space for the MSU alumni association and Spartan Athletic Office
• State of the art recruiting lounge
• Upgraded stadium wide bathroom and concourse renovations
• An increase of 3000 seats, bringing the total stadium capacity to 75,005

In September 2006, Michigan State University's Board of Trustees approved a contract extension for Mason extending his contract as MSU's athletic director through June 2008. He retired from the post of athletic director at Michigan State University on January 1, 2008, and was succeeded by Mark Hollis.

Legacy with the CCHA

In addition to his success as a coach, Mason helped the CCHA grow to what it is today. When Mason began coaching in 1966 there were only two major conferences in the NCAA, the Eastern College Athletic Conference and the Western Collegiate Hockey Association. Helping build the ice hockey program at Lake Superior State, Mason was left without a conference. In 1972 Mason, along with Bowling Green State University's Jack Vivian, St. Louis University's Bill Selman, Ohio State University's Dave Chambers, Ohio University's John McComb and the CCHA's first commissioner Fred Jacoby, formed the Central Collegiate Hockey Association. Mason's tenure at Bowling Green State produced the CCHA's first NCAA tournament berth, first appearance in the NCAA Frozen Four and the first national No. 1 ranking.

For his contributions in helping build the CCHA, the conference renamed their tournament trophy the Mason Cup in 2000-01.

Philanthropy

Mason volunteers with the Sparrow Foundation where he established the Ron Mason Fund for Pediatric Rehabilitation which helps children with disabilities. The fund has raised $675,000 for the foundation since 1998. He was also honorary chairperson for the Children's Miracle Network which has raised $19 million plus since 1989.

Notable players coached

In his 36 years, Mason coached a number of outstanding players.

Hobey Baker Award winners

Ryan Miller	2001	Goalie	Michigan State	Won award as a sophomore goaltender. Cousin of 1990 winner Kip Miller.
Kip Miller	1990	Forward	Michigan State	Michigan State's first Hobey Baker Award winner.
George McPhee	1982	Forward	Bowling Green State	Mason recruited McPhee to BGSU and coached him for one season.

Hobey Baker Award finalists

Ron Scott	1982 and 1983
Kelly Miller	1985
Craig Simpson	1985
Mike Donnelly	1986
Bobby Reynolds	1989
Bryan Smolinski	1993
Anson Carter	1995
Chad Alban	1998
Mike York	1998 and 1999
Shawn Horcoff	2000
Ryan Miller	2002

AHCA All-America

Don Muio	1972	Goalie	Lake Superior State	College Division
Jim Wiley	1972	Forward	Lake Superior State	College Division
Ken Morrow	1978	Defense	Bowling Green State
Ron Scott	1982	Goalie	Michigan State
Ron Scott	1983	Goalie	Michigan State
Dan McFall	1984	Defense	Michigan State	Second Team
Dan McFall	1985	Defense	Michigan State
Kelly Miller	1985	Forward	Michigan State
Craig Simpson	1985	Forward	Michigan State
Gary Haight	1985	Defense	Michigan State	Second Team
Mike Donnelly	1986	Forward	Michigan State
Don McSween	1986	Defense	Michigan State	Second Team
Mitch Messier	1987	Forward	Michigan State
Don McSween	1987	Defense	Michigan State	Second Team
Kip Miller	1989	Forward	Michigan State
Bobby Reynolds	1989	Forward	Michigan State
Kip Miller	1990	Forward	Michigan State
Jason Muzzatti	1990	Goalie	Michigan State	Second Team
Jason Woolley	1991	Defense	Michigan State
Joby Messier	1992	Defense	Michigan State
Dwayne Norris	1992	Forward	Michigan State
Bryan Smolinski	1993	Forward	Michigan State
Steve Guolla	1994	Forward	Michigan State	Second Team
Anson Carter	1995	Forward	Michigan State	Second Team
Chad Alban	1998	Goalie	Michigan State
Mike York	1998	Forward	Michigan State
Tyler Harlton	1998	Defense	Michigan State	Second Team
Sean Berens	1998	Forward	Michigan State	Second Team
Joe Blackburn	1999	Goalie	Michigan State
Mike York	1999	Forward	Michigan State
Mike Weaver	1999	Defense	Michigan State	Second Team
Shawn Horcoff	2000	Forward	Michigan State
Mike Weaver	2000	Defense	Michigan State
Ryan Miller	2001	Goalie	Michigan State
Ryan Miller	2002	Goalie	Michigan State
Andrew Hutchinson	2002	Defense	Michigan State	Second Team
John-Michael Liles	2002	Defense	Michigan State	Second Team

CCHA Player of the Year

Mike Liut	1977	Goalie	Bowling Green State
John Markell	1978	Forward	Bowling Green State
Ken Morrow	1979	Defense	Bowling Green State
Kip Miller	1990	Forward	Michigan State
Dwayne Norris	1992	Forward	Michigan State
Chad Alban	1998	Goalie	Michigan State
Mike York	1999	Forward	Michigan State
Shawn Horcoff	2000	Forward	Michigan State
Ryan Miller	2001	Goalie	Michigan State
Ryan Miller	2002	Goalie	Michigan State

NHL first round draft picks

Craig Simpson	1985	Pittsburgh Penguins	2nd
Joe Murphy*	1986	Detroit Red Wings	1st
Jason Muzzatti	1988	Calgary Flames	21st
Rod Brind'Amour	1988	St. Louis Blues	9th
Bryan Smolinski	1990	Boston Bruins	21st
Michael Stewart	1990	New York Rangers	13th
Jim Slater	2002	Atlanta Thrashers	30th

Joe Murphy was first ever NCAA player selected first overall

Select NHL players

Rod Brind'Amour	Michigan State	21 seasons
Anson Carter	Michigan State	12 seasons
Danton Cole	Michigan State	7 seasons
Jim Cummins	Michigan State	12 seasons
Bob Essensa	Michigan State	12 seasons
Steve Guolla	Michigan State	6 seasons
Adam Hall	Michigan State	10 seasons
Shawn Horcoff	Michigan State	11 seasons
Andrew Hutchinson	Michigan State	6 seasons
Duncan Keith	Michigan State	6 seasons
John-Michael Liles	Michigan State	8 seasons
Mike Liut	Bowling Green State	13 seasons
Chris Luongo	Michigan State	4 seasons
Brian MacLellan	Bowling Green State	10 seasons
George McPhee	Bowling Green State	7 seasons
Kelly Miller	Michigan State	16 seasons
Kevin Miller	Michigan State	12 seasons
Kip Miller	Michigan State	12 seasons
Ryan Miller	Michigan State	9 seasons
Ken Morrow	Bowling Green State	10 seasons
Joe Murphy	Michigan State	15 seasons
Rem Murray	Michigan State	9 seasons
Craig Simpson	Michigan State	10 seasons
Jim Slater	Michigan State	7 seasons
Bryan Smolinski	Michigan State	17 seasons
Mike Watt	Michigan State	5 seasons
Mike Weaver	Michigan State	10 seasons
Peter White	Michigan State	10 seasons
Jim Wiley	Lake Superior State	4 seasons
Neil Wilkinson	Michigan State	10 seasons
Jason Woolley	Michigan State	14 seasons
Mike York	Michigan State	10 seasons

Olympians

Bob Dobek	1976	USA
Doug Ross	1976	USA
Ken Morrow	1980	USA	Gold
Mark Wells	1980	USA	Gold
Gary Haight	1984	USA
Kevin Miller	1988	USA
Geir Hoff	1988	Norway
Brian Stankiewicz	1988	Austria
Jason Woolley	1992	Canada	Silver
Geir Hoff	1992	Norway
Dwayne Norris	1994	Canada	Silver
Geir Hoff	1994	Norway
Brian Stankiewicz	1994	Austria
Rod Brind'Amour	1998	Canada
Mike York	2002	USA	Silver
John-Michael Liles	2006	USA
Jason Muzzatti	2006	Italy
Tony Tuzzolino	2006	Italy
Ryan Miller	2010, 2014	USA	Silver ('10)
Duncan Keith	2010, 2014	Canada	Gold ('10, '14)

Coaching tree

Many former and current college hockey head coaches can trace their lineage back to Ron Mason as shown below either as former players or former assistant coaches for Mason.

• Tom Anastos - former player and assistant coach - Michigan State
  • Head coach: University of Michigan-Dearborn 1987-90, Michigan State University 2011-Present
    • Former CCHA Commissioner 1998-2011
    • NCAA Tournament: 2012
• Newell Brown - former player and assistant coach - Michigan State
  • Head coach: Michigan Technological University 1990-92, Adirondack Red Wings (AHL) 1992-96
    • Currently assistant coach, Vancouver Canucks
• Steve Cady - former assistant coach - Bowling Green State
  • Head coach: Miami University 1978-85
    • Currently Senior Associate Athletics Director, Miami
    • Namesake of Miami's Steve Cady Arena at Goggin Ice Center
• Danton Cole - former player - Michigan State
  • Head coach: Muskegon Fury (UHL) 2001-02, Grand Rapids Griffins (AHL) 2002-05, University of Alabama, Huntsville 2007-2010, USA Hockey National Team Development Program 2010-Present
    • UHL Champions: 2002
    • CHA playoff champions: 2010
    • NCAA Tournament: 2010
• Rick Comley - former player and assistant coach - Lake Superior State
  • Head coach: Lake Superior State University 1973-76, Northern Michigan University 1976-2002, Michigan State University 2002-2011
    • CCHA champions: 1974, 1980, 1981
    • CCHA playoff champions: 1980, 1981, 2006
    • WCHA champions: 1991
    • WCHA playoff champions: 1989, 1991, 1992
    • NAIA National Champions: 1974
    • NCAA Tournament: 1980, 1981, 1989, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1999, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008
    • NCAA Frozen Four: 1980, 1981, 1991, 2007
    • NCAA National Finalist: 1980
    • NCAA National Champions: 1991, 2007
      • Currently involved in layer recruitment, Chicago Blackhawks
• Bob Daniels - former player - Michigan State
  • Head coach: Ferris State University 1992-Present
    • CCHA champions: 2003, 2012
    • WCHA champions: 2014
    • NCAA Tournament: 2003, 2012, 2014
    • NCAA Frozen Four: 2012
    • NCAA National Finalist: 2012
• George Gwozdecky - former assistant coach - Michigan State
  • Head coach: University of Wisconsin-River Falls 1982-84, Miami University 1989-94, University of Denver 1994-2013
    • CCHA champions: 1993
    • WCHA champions: 2002, 2005, 2010
    • WCHA playoff champions: 1999, 2002, 2005, 2008
    • NAIA National Champions: 1983
    • NCAA Tournament: 1993, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013
    • NCAA Frozen Four: 2004, 2005
    • NCAA National Champions: 2004, 2005
      • Currently assistant coach, Tampa Bay Lightning
• Chris Luongo - former player - Michigan State
  • Head coach: University of Alabama, Huntsville 2010-12
• John Markell - former player - Bowling Green State
  • Head coach: Ohio State University 1994-2010
    • CCHA playoff champions: 2004
    • NCAA Tournament: 1998, 1999, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2009
    • NCAA Frozen Four: 1998
• John Mason (no relation) - former assistant coach - Bowling Green State and Michigan State
  • Head coach: Northern Arizona University 1984-86
    • Currently manager, Omaha Junior Lancers
• Mark Mazzoleni - former player - Michigan State
  • Head coach: University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point 1985-91, Miami University 1994-99, Harvard University 1999-2004, Green Bay Gamblers (USHL) 2004-2008
    • ECAC tournament champions: 2002, 2004
    • NCAA Division III National Champions: 1989, 1990, 1991
    • NCAA Tournament: 1997, 2002, 2003, 2004
    • Currently assistant coach, St. Norbert College
• Tom Newton - former player - Bowling Green State - former assistant coach - Michigan State
  • Head coach: Kent State University 1981-82
    • Currently assistant coach, Michigan State
• Doug Ross - former player - Bowling Green State
  • Head coach: Ohio University 1976-77, Kent State University 1979-81, University of Alabama, Huntsville 1982-2007
    • CHA champions: 2001, 2003
    • CHA tournament champions: 2007
    • NCAA Tournament: 2007
    • NCAA Division II National Champions: 1996, 1998
• Ted Sator - former player and assistant coach - Bowling Green State
  • Head coach: New York Rangers (NHL) 1985-87, Philadelphia Flyers (NHL) 1987-89, New Orleans Brass (ECHL) 1997-2002, Slovenian National Team 2006-08, Hungarian national ice hockey team 2009-Present
• Paul Titanic - former player - Bowling Green State
  • Head coach: University of Toronto (CIS) 1985-95, Markham Waxers (AAA Midget) 1999-2006
    • OAU champions: 1993
      • Developed first-round NHL draft picks Cody Hodgson, Steven Stamkos and Michael Del Zotto while coaching in Markham
• Shawn Walsh - former player - Bowling Green State - former assistant coach - Bowling Green State and Michigan State
  • Head coach: University of Maine 1984-2001
    • Hockey East champions: 1988, 1992, 1993, 1995
    • Hockey East playoff champions: 1989, 1992, 1993, 2000
    • NCAA Tournament: 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1995, 1999, 2000, 2001
    • NCAA National Finalist: 1995
    • NCAA National Champions: 1993, 1999
• Damon Whitten - former player - Michigan State
  • Head coach: Lake Superior State University 2014-Present
• Jim Wiley - former player - Lake Superior State
  • Head coach: Des Moines Buccaneers (USHL) 1985-90, Kansas City Blades (IHL) 1993-96, San Jose Sharks (NHL) 1995-96, Kentucky Thoroughblades (AHL) 1996-98

Head coaching record

Season	Team	Overall	Conference	Standing	Postseason
Lake Superior State University (Independent)
1966-67	Lake Superior State	15-5-0
Lake Superior State University (ICHA)
1967-68	Lake Superior State	21-3-2	15-1-0	1st	NAIA Finalist
1968-69	Lake Superior State	21-5-0	12-4-0	2nd	NAIA Finalist
1969-70	Lake Superior State	19-7-0	10-2-0	T-1st	NAIA Finalist
1970-71	Lake Superior State	13-7-4	5-5-2	3rd
1971-72	Lake Superior State	20-8-2	12-0-0	1st	NAIA Champions
Lake Superior State University (CCHA)
1972-73	Lake Superior State	21-9-0	9-3-0	2nd	NAIA Third Place
Lake Superior State:		130-44-8	64-15-2
Bowling Green State (CCHA)
1973-74	Bowling Green State	20-19-0	2-6-0	3rd
1974-75	Bowling Green State	23-10-2	4-3-1	2nd
1975-76	Bowling Green State	21-9-2	11-4-1	1st
1976-77	Bowling Green State	28-11-0	10-6-0	2nd	NCAA Play-in Game
1977-78	Bowling Green State	31-8-0	15-3-0	1st	NCAA Third Place
1978-79	Bowling Green State	37-6-2	21-2-1	1st	NCAA Quarterfinalist
Bowling Green State:		160-63-6	63-24-3
Michigan State (WCHA / Big Ten)
1979-80	Michigan State	14-24-0	12-16-0	8th / 3rd
1980-81	Michigan State	12-22-2	7-20-1	10th / 4th
Michigan State (CCHA)
1981-82	Michigan State	26-14-2	21-10-1	2nd	NCAA Quarterfinalist
1982-83	Michigan State	30-11-1	23-9-0	2nd	NCAA Quarterfinalist
1983-84	Michigan State	34-12-0	21-9-0	T-2nd	NCAA Fourth Place
1984-85	Michigan State	38-6-0	27-5-0	1st	NCAA Quarterfinalist
1985-86	Michigan State	34-9-2	23-7-2	1st	NCAA Champions
1986-87	Michigan State	33-10-2	23-8-1	2nd	NCAA Finalist
1987-88	Michigan State	27-16-3	18-11-3	3rd	NCAA Quarterfinalist
1988-89	Michigan State	37-9-1	25-6-1	1st	NCAA Third Place
1989-90	Michigan State	35-7-3	26-3-3	1st	NCAA Quarterfinalist
1990-91	Michigan State	17-18-5	14-13-5	5th
1991-92	Michigan State	26-10-8	18-7-7	3rd	NCAA Frozen Four
1992-93	Michigan State	24-14-2	18-10-2	4th
1993-94	Michigan State	23-13-4	17-8-5	3rd	NCAA First Round
1994-95	Michigan State	25-12-3	17-7-3	3rd	NCAA First Round
1995-96	Michigan State	28-13-1	22-7-1	T-3rd	NCAA First Round
1996-97	Michigan State	23-13-4	16-7-4	3rd	NCAA First Round
1997-98	Michigan State	33-6-5	21-5-4	1st	NCAA Quarterfinalist
1998-99	Michigan State	29-6-7	20-3-7	1st	NCAA Frozen Four
1999-2000	Michigan State	27-11-4	18-8-2	2nd	NCAA First Round
2000-01	Michigan State	33-5-4	21-4-3	1st	NCAA Frozen Four
2001-02	Michigan State	27-9-5	18-6-4	2nd	NCAA First Round
Michigan State:		635-270-69
Total:		924-380-83

[ Source: Wikipedia ]