Mason new men's hockey coach

He is regarded as one of the hottest young coaches in the business. Brian Mason, who coached Rochester Institute of Technology to the NCAA Division II championship in 1982, was appointed Dartmouth's 18th coach of hockey in early April, succeeding George Crowe.

Mason, 33 and a former Clarkson skater, has a formidable task of reconstruction. In the past two seasons, the Big Green won only 12 games, losing 38 and tying two. Last winter, Dartmouth was 3-23, the worst record in school history. "The situation is not as gloomy as some people may think," Mason said. "Losing is cancerous, it affects the whole program. You start to believe you are a loser. I'm going to try and come in and instill some pride and motivate the players to believe in themselves."

Mason's teams are characterized for their intensity and desire. He is considered a strong taskmaster who stresses the European style of hockey exhibited by the 1980 gold medal United States hockey team. Mason coached RIT to a 29-6 record in 1983-84 while leading the Tigers to the ECAC Division II west title and third place in the nation. His national championship team of 1982-83 was 23-9. He joined the RIT staff in September, 1980 after holding an assistant's job at Rensselaer and the athletic director/hockey coach's post at Northwood School (Lake Placid, N.Y.).

"As a coach, I'm a demanding disciplinarian and a fanatic on conditioning. My players will work very hard in practice. At the same time I try to keep practices enjoyable for them by utilizing a lot of flow drills," said Mason. The challenge, for Mason, lies in Dartmouth's strict admission requirements. And that is where the rewards lie, too. "The biggest challenge is recruiting because of the high academic standards of the Ivies. Many times you can watch a high school game and see 10 players who could help your team but only one who can get in. Immediately there are five other Ivy schools after him, too," explained Mason. "It's a challenge," he admitted. "But the rewards come from grooming young men for the future."

Mason does have the finest college hockey facility in the country as a recruiting aid. "And Dartmouth is a superb academic institution with a beautiful campus," said Mason. "There's a wholesome feeling about Dartmouth, and that's part of the College's attractiveness, too."