Ronald Herbert (Ron) Mason

Ronald Herbert “Ron” Mason

Lake Superior State Hockey Coach (1967 – 1973)
Michigan State Hockey Coach (1979 – 2002)

Ron Mason was born in Blyth, Ontario. He started his hockey career with the Peterborough Petes and the Ottawa Junior Canadians before enrolling at St. Lawrence University where he played hockey from 1960 – 1963. Mason went on to a coaching career, first with the NAIA’s Lake Superior State where he won a National Championship in 1972, before moving on to the NCAA’s Bowling Green and finally on to Michigan State in 1979 until his retirement in 2002. His 1986 Spartan squad won a National Championship and appeared in a total of seven NCAA Frozen Fours, in all he won 924 games coached two Hobey Baker Award winners, 35 All-Americans and 50 players who went on to the pros. After his retirement in 2002, he moved into the Athletic Director role at Michigan State where he stayed through 2007. Ron Mason was inducted into the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame in 2013, the Michigan State Athletic Hall of Fame in 2010, and was inducted into the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame in 1994. He passed away on June 13, 2016 at 76 years of age.