Long before Tom Izzo built an elite college basketball program, across the street at Munn Ice Arena, Ron Mason showed him how.
For two decades in East Lansing, Mason’s Michigan State hockey program was the gold standard, the hottest ticket in town.
Mason died suddenly Monday at the age of 76, the first of his MSU coaching contemporaries to go.
When people die, they are remembered for what they accomplished on this earth and, more importantly, for how they made people feel.
In this regard, Mason’s 23-year run as hockey coach left an indelible legacy on MSU athletics and its fans.