Bowling Green State University Athletics
Athletics Hall Of Famer Ron Mason Passes Away
June 13, 2016 | Ice Hockey
Ron Mason, who coached the Bowling Green State University hockey program from 1973-79 and was inducted into the BGSU Athletics Hall of Fame in 2009, passed away Sunday night at the age of 76.
Â
Mason is the second-winningest coach in NCAA Hockey history, winning 924 games in 36 seasons at Lake Superior State, Bowling Green and Michigan State. He led Michigan State to the 1986 National Championship and built BGSU into a national contender, going 160-63-6 during his tenure. Mason gave way to Jerry York, the winningest coach in NCAA Hockey history, who led BGSU to the 1984 National Championship.
Â
"The hockey world lost a fine man and great coach Sunday," George McPhee, the 1982 Hobey Baker winner from BGSU and NHL executive, said. "Ron Mason turned unknown Bowling Green into a national college hockey powerhouse. It will be hard to not lament his sudden loss, but it is probably better to simply revel in the memories of a man who knew how to win and made the process so much fun for all of us."
Â
Mason won at least 20 games in each of his six years at Bowling Green, going 31-8-0 in 1977-78 and then 37-6-2 in his final year in 1978-79. The program went 63-24-3 in the CCHA during his tenure, earning the CCHA regular season title in 1976, 1978 and 1979, as well as the playoff championship in 1977, 1978 and 1979. While at BGSU, he coached two members of the 1980 US Gold Medal Olympic Hockey Team – Ken Morrow and Mark Wells.
Â
The 1978 team defeated Colorado College 5-3 in the NCAA quarterfinals before an overflow crowd at the BGSU Ice Arena for the school's first ever berth in the Frozen Four. The 1979 team had a 23-game unbeaten streak and earned the program its first ever No. 1 national ranking.
Â
In 2001, the CCHA honored Mason by renaming the conference's playoff trophy - The Mason Cup - in recognition of his contributions to college hockey and the formation of the league as well as his success behind the bench. Mason is considered one of the founding fathers of the CCHA, as he joined Bowling Green's Jack Vivian – a 2008 BGSU Athletics Hall of Fame inductee – and Saint Louis University's Bill Selman in establishing a "coaches' league" in 1971.
Â
Â
Â
Â
Mason is the second-winningest coach in NCAA Hockey history, winning 924 games in 36 seasons at Lake Superior State, Bowling Green and Michigan State. He led Michigan State to the 1986 National Championship and built BGSU into a national contender, going 160-63-6 during his tenure. Mason gave way to Jerry York, the winningest coach in NCAA Hockey history, who led BGSU to the 1984 National Championship.
Â
"The hockey world lost a fine man and great coach Sunday," George McPhee, the 1982 Hobey Baker winner from BGSU and NHL executive, said. "Ron Mason turned unknown Bowling Green into a national college hockey powerhouse. It will be hard to not lament his sudden loss, but it is probably better to simply revel in the memories of a man who knew how to win and made the process so much fun for all of us."
Â
Mason won at least 20 games in each of his six years at Bowling Green, going 31-8-0 in 1977-78 and then 37-6-2 in his final year in 1978-79. The program went 63-24-3 in the CCHA during his tenure, earning the CCHA regular season title in 1976, 1978 and 1979, as well as the playoff championship in 1977, 1978 and 1979. While at BGSU, he coached two members of the 1980 US Gold Medal Olympic Hockey Team – Ken Morrow and Mark Wells.
Â
The 1978 team defeated Colorado College 5-3 in the NCAA quarterfinals before an overflow crowd at the BGSU Ice Arena for the school's first ever berth in the Frozen Four. The 1979 team had a 23-game unbeaten streak and earned the program its first ever No. 1 national ranking.
Â
In 2001, the CCHA honored Mason by renaming the conference's playoff trophy - The Mason Cup - in recognition of his contributions to college hockey and the formation of the league as well as his success behind the bench. Mason is considered one of the founding fathers of the CCHA, as he joined Bowling Green's Jack Vivian – a 2008 BGSU Athletics Hall of Fame inductee – and Saint Louis University's Bill Selman in establishing a "coaches' league" in 1971.
Â
Â
Â
BG Hockey : Kevin Piel w/Dennis Williams
Friday, April 25
BG HKY Postgame 3/15/25
Sunday, March 16
BG Hky Postgame 03.08
Sunday, March 09
BG Hky Postgame 3.7
Saturday, March 08