East Lansing – Ron Mason, who won more than 900 college hockey games and delivered the national championship to Michigan State in 1986, died suddenly on Sunday night at the age of 76.

The longtime coach of the Spartans who went on to become the school’s athletic director from 2002-07, was remembered Monday as an icon of the sport and the university.

“He is one of the icons at Michigan State,” said current athletic director Mark Hollis. “He is one of the Mt. Rushmore individuals.”

Mason was born Jan. 14, 1940, in Blyth, Ontario. He is survived by his wife Marion, daughters Tracey and Cindy, and grandsons Tyler and Travis Walsh, who completed his hockey career at Michigan State this spring.

Details of Mason’s death haven’t been released but the he was active and vibrant in retirement and the news was shocking to those who knew him.

“I’m still stunned,” said Michigan State coach Tom Anastos, who played for Mason from 1981-85. “Obviously the loss of coach Mason comes as a huge shock to all of us. To see him bouncing around with energy and his intensity and to think that I’m not going to see that is hard to get arms around.”

In Mason’s 36 years of college coaching, he finished a record of 924-380-83, the second-most wins in college hockey history. In 23 years at MSU, he posted a 635-270-69 mark. In addition to the national title in 1986, Mason won an NAIA championship with Lake Superior State in 1972.

At Michigan State, Mason led the Spartans to 17 CCHA regular-season and playoff titles and guided 23 teams to the NCAA Tournament, an all-time record.

“Coach Mason defined what it means to be a Spartan,” Michigan State president Lou Anna K. Simon said. “His relentless quest for excellence on and off the rink made everyone around him better. He truly created a Spartan hockey family in which the focus was on collective success rather than worrying about who received credit. That drive translated into great accomplishments on the ice and in life for all those fortunate enough to work with or play for him.”

Mason’s coaching career began at Lake Superior State in 1966 before he landed at Bowling Green in 1974. After six seasons there, he took over at Michigan State in 1979.

Over the next 23 years, he coached 35 All-Americans and 50 former Spartans who went on to establish careers in the National Hockey League. He also coached 13 Hobey Baker finalists and two players who won the award – forward Kip Miller in 1990 and goalie Ryan Miller in 2001.

Michigan State assistant coach Tom Newton played for Mason at Bowling Green before serving as an assistant to Mason at MSU. He just completed his 26th year with the Spartans, also serving as an assistant from Anastos and Rick Comley.

“I knew him since I was about 13 years old,” Newton said. “I played for him. I coached for him. I had a lot of fun with him. I went through a lot of things with him. I watched him bring a lot of young men along and I was one of those young men. I’ve talked to lot of different guys and lot of different ages today. He had an impact on a lot of people.

“I was just with Marion and Cindy and it’s a hard day for them. It’s gonna be hard day for the Spartan hockey family. One of the things he always said was to be strong and keep going on and we’ll certainly do that and do it in his honor.”

Mason was inducted into the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame in 2013. He is also in the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame, the MSU Hall of Fame and Lake Superior’s Hall of Fame.

Mason was succeeded by Comley as MSU’s head coach in 2002 and by Anastos in 2011. Comley also won an NCAA title with the Spartans in 2007.