Amos "Betts" Bessone (November 22, 1916 – January 9, 2010) was a collegiate ice hockey player and head coach.
Bessone was born in
Sagamore, Massachusetts
, Sigma = Tristan Chick
Sagamore is a census-designated place (CDP) in the town of Bourne, Massachusetts, Bourne in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 3,623 at ...
, on
Cape Cod
Cape Cod is a peninsula extending into the Atlantic Ocean from the southeastern corner of Massachusetts, in the northeastern United States. Its historic, maritime character and ample beaches attract heavy tourism during the summer months. The ...
, and raised in
West Springfield, Massachusetts
West Springfield is a city in Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 28,835 at the 2020 United States Census. The city is also known as "West ...
, where he learned to play hockey.
As a hockey coach, Bessone is best remembered for winning a national championship as a heavy underdog in 1966 with the "Cinderella Spartans." He was one of the most colorful college coaches of his era with a trademark whistle he used to signal line changes.
As intense as Bessone was behind the bench, he was warm and endearing off the ice. During his coaching days, he regularly invited fellow coaches, officials and reporters out for drinks or back to his house for spaghetti following games.
Playing career
High school
Bessone played high school hockey in
West Springfield, Massachusetts
West Springfield is a city in Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 28,835 at the 2020 United States Census. The city is also known as "West ...
, and for two preparatory schools in Maine,
Hebron Academy
Hebron Academy, founded in 1804, is a small, independent, college preparatory boarding and day school for boys and girls in grades six through postgraduate in Hebron, Maine.
Tuition
Tuition for the 2023–2024 academic year is $64,000 for Int ...
and
Kents Hill School
Kents Hill School (also known as Kents Hill or KHS) is a co-educational, independent college-preparatory school for boarding and day students. Kents Hill is located in Kents Hill, Maine, 12 miles west of the state capital of Augusta, Maine, Aug ...
.
Bessone also played hockey for
Association Saint-Dominique, a
Lewiston amateur team. During his days in Maine, he was described as cocky
but one of the best defensemen in high school hockey.
Bessone was graduated from Kents Hill in 1939.
College
After prep school, he played college hockey from 1940 to 1943 at the
University of Illinois
The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC, U of I, Illinois, or University of Illinois) is a public university, public land-grant university, land-grant research university in the Champaign–Urbana metropolitan area, Illinois, United ...
under legendary coach
Vic Heyliger. He was team captain his senior season of 1942–43.
In addition to hockey, Bessone earned letters in baseball and basketball.
Professional
Following Illinois, Bessone played minor league hockey in the
AHL for the
Providence Reds
The Providence Reds were a hockey team that played in the Canadian-American Hockey League (CAHL) between 1926 and 1936 and the American Hockey League (AHL) from 1936 to 1977, the last season of which they played as the Rhode Island Reds. The t ...
. He made his professional debut with the Reds on March 16, 1943, in the first game of the opening round of the AHL playoffs against the
Cleveland Barons.
His career in the AHL was cut short by serving in World War II. Bessone also played for his hometown Springfield minor league baseball team of the
Eastern League.
Coaching career
Westfield
Bessone was head ice hockey coach for
Westfield High School for three seasons following his playing career.
[Sypek, Frank]
"West Springfield 'Rink Rat' Amo 'Betts' Bessone remembered as a legend"
''Mass Live'' website (Advance Local Media LLC
Advance Publications, Inc. is a privately held American media company owned by the families of Donald Newhouse and Samuel Irving Newhouse Jr., the sons of company founder Samuel Irving Newhouse Sr. It owns publishing-related companies incl ...
), January 12, 2010, updated March 25, 2019. Retrieved December 4, 2020.
Michigan Tech
Bessone got his first collegiate head coaching job on September 13, 1948,
when he was hired by Michigan College of Mines and Technology (now
Michigan Technological University
Michigan Technological University (Michigan Tech, MTU, or simply Tech) is a public research university in Houghton, Michigan, United States. It was founded in 1885 as the Michigan Mining School, the first post-secondary institution in the Uppe ...
). He coached at Michigan Tech for three seasons compiling a record of 20–31–2.
Michigan State
Following the 1951 season, Bessone accepted the head coaching position at
Michigan State University
Michigan State University (Michigan State or MSU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan, United States. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State o ...
after
Harold Paulsen resigned. Bessone would remain at MSU for the next 28 years.
When Bessone arrived at Michigan State, the ice hockey program was just beginning its third season (after resuming competition following a 16-year hiatus) and its youth was evident with a 6–25 record over two seasons. The Spartans struggled with six losing seasons before Bessone turned things around in his seventh season as coach. In 1957–58, Michigan State enjoyed its first winning season. The following season, Bessone guided MSU to a
Big Ten
The Big Ten Conference (stylized B1G, formerly the Western Conference and the Big Nine Conference, among others) is a collegiate athletic conference in the United States. Founded as the Intercollegiate Conference of Faculty Representatives in 1 ...
championship and a berth in the NCAA tournament. The Spartans lost the 1959 national championship game in overtime to
North Dakota
North Dakota ( ) is a U.S. state in the Upper Midwest, named after the indigenous Dakota people, Dakota and Sioux peoples. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba to the north and by the U.S. states of Minneso ...
.
Following 1959, Michigan State became a charter member of the
Western Collegiate Hockey Association
The Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) is a college ice hockey conference which operates in the Midwestern United States. It participates in the NCAA's Division I as a women's-only conference.
From 1951 to 1999, it operated as a me ...
(WCHA), which was a reincarnation of the loosely affiliated Midwest Collegiate Hockey League and Western Intercollegiate Hockey League that disbanded following the 1957–58 season. Bessone and MSU struggled during the first five seasons of the WCHA.
Again, Bessone turned things around with a winning season in 1964–65. The following season, Bessone coached Michigan State to an improbable NCAA national championship.
MSU began the 1965–66 season 4–10, but rebounded winning 12 of their last 15 games including both WCHA playoff games which earned MSU a spot in the NCAA tournament. In the national semifinals, Bessone squeaked out a 2–1 victory over highly favored Boston University. In the national championship game, Bessone and the Spartans faced
Len Ceglarski's Clarkson team that owned the national-best record of 24–2. Michigan State shocked Clarkson with a dominant 6–1 victory sealing MSU's first national championship. Len Ceglarski and Bessone shared the Spencer Penrose Award as the national coach of the year in 1966. The national title and coaching award cemented Bessone's legacy as a coach. To this day, Bessone's 1966 Michigan State team remains one of the biggest underdog stories in NCAA ice hockey history. The total number of team victories (16) and team winning percentage (.551) is the lowest of any NCAA ice hockey champion. MSU made the NCAA tournament again with a strong WCHA playoff finish in 1967, but lost in the national semifinals.
Bessone began the 1970s with six straight winning seasons. As MSU hockey was building momentum, the 7,000-seat
Munn Ice Arena
Clarence L. Munn Ice Arena is a 6,114-seat hockey-only arena in East Lansing, Michigan on the campus of Michigan State University, situated across Chestnut Road from the Intramural Recreative Sports Center West and Spartan Stadium. It is home ...
was opened in 1974 just south of the old ice rink,
Dem Hall. The peak of the momentum came in 1975–76 when Bessone guided MSU to its best WCHA conference finish. Michigan State was on the verge of earning an NCAA tournament berth when
Minnesota
Minnesota ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Upper Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario to the north and east and by the U.S. states of Wisconsin to the east, Iowa to the so ...
knocked MSU out of the WCHA playoffs in triple overtime. Minnesota, who had finished below Michigan State in the conference, received an NCAA tournament bid instead.
The loss proved devastating to Bessone and the MSU hockey program. The Spartans suffered three straight losing seasons following 1976.
Bessone announced his retirement effective at the end of the 1978–79 season. He finished his coaching career with a 5–3 victory over archrival
Michigan
Michigan ( ) is a peninsular U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, Upper Midwestern United States. It shares water and land boundaries with Minnesota to the northwest, Wisconsin to the west, ...
completing the weekend series sweep of the Wolverines. His success at Michigan State helped form a loyal group of MSU hockey supporters dubbed "Amo's Army." Bessone holds a 387–458–22 career record in 31 seasons.
Legacy
Bessone's legacy extends beyond his accomplishments at Michigan State. Bessone helped establish the Greater Lansing Area Hockey Association (GLAHA), the first organized youth hockey program in Mid-Michigan. He assisted the league by donating used equipment and encouraging his players to volunteer as coaches. GLAHA started with three players in 1953 and by Bessone's retirement from coaching in 1979, the organization boasted 450 players. GLAHA alumni include current and former NHL players:
Jeff Brubaker
Jeffrey Joseph Brubaker (born February 24, 1958) is an American former professional ice hockey forward (ice hockey), forward.
Brubaker was the first Maryland native to play in the NHL although he grew up and learned to play hockey in Lansing, Mi ...
,
Danton Cole
Danton Edward Cole (born January 10, 1967) is an American former professional hockey player and the former head coach of the Michigan State Spartans men's hockey team. He had guided the USA Hockey Under-18 team to a pair of gold medals and a b ...
,
Kelly Miller,
Kevin Miller,
Kip Miller
Kip Charles Miller (born June 11, 1969) is an American former ice hockey forward. He last played for the American Hockey League Grand Rapids Griffins in 2006–07. He was drafted by the Quebec Nordiques as their 4th-round pick in the 1987 N ...
,
Ryan Miller
Ryan Dean Miller (born July 17, 1980) is an American former ice hockey goaltender who played 18 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) mostly for the Buffalo Sabres. Miller was drafted 138th overall by the Buffalo Sabres in the 1999 NHL E ...
and
Alfie Turcotte.
For his efforts in establishing GLAHA, Bessone received the first John MacInnes Award in 1983. The award, given out by the American Hockey Coaches Association, recognizes great concern for amateur hockey and youth programs.
In 1992, Bessone was inducted into the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame.
Bessone is also the namesake of numerous awards including:
* The Amo Bessone Award (Springfield, Massachusetts) given to the top high school player in Western Massachusetts. The award is celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2007.
* Amo Bessone Award (Lansing, Michigan) given to the GLAHA coach of the year.
* Amo Bessone Award (Michigan State University) presented to an MSU hockey player for outstanding athletic, scholastic and community participation achievements.
Personal
Bessone was married to Mary Kennedy Bessone. They had one son, John, who wrote for ''
Sports Illustrated
''Sports Illustrated'' (''SI'') is an American sports magazine first published in August 1954. Founded by Stuart Scheftel, it was the first magazine with a circulation of over one million to win the National Magazine Award for General Excellen ...
'' and was an associate television director for
ABC Sports
ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script.
ABC or abc may also refer to:
Arts, entertainment and media Broadcasting
* Aliw Broadcasting Corporation, Philippine broadcast company
* American Broadcasting Company, a commercial America ...
.
His older brother,
Pete
Pete or Petes or ''variation'', may refer to:
People
* Pete (given name)
* Pete (nickname)
* Pete (surname)
Fictional characters
* Pete (Disney), a cartoon character in the ''Mickey Mouse'' universe
* Pete the Pup (a.k.a. 'Petey'), a characte ...
, played six games for the Detroit Red Wings in 1937–38. Pete had a successful career as a player in the
AHL and is a member of the United States Hockey Hall of Fame.
Bessone retired first to Englewood, Florida, with his brother Pete Bessone, then later to
Santa Fe, New Mexico
Santa Fe ( ; , literal translation, lit. "Holy Faith") is the capital city, capital of the U.S. state of New Mexico, and the county seat of Santa Fe County. With over 89,000 residents, Santa Fe is the List of municipalities in New Mexico, fourt ...
, with his son John Bessone. His final visit to the Michigan State campus was October 2006 for a reunion of the 1966 and 1986 NCAA national championship teams.
Military service
Bessone enlisted in the
United States Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...
in 1942 and was discharged in 1946 as an ensign. He served on
PT boat
A PT boat (short for patrol torpedo boat) was a motor torpedo boat used by the United States Navy in World War II. It was small, fast, and inexpensive to build, and it was valued for its maneuverability and speed. However, PT boats were hampe ...
s during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
in both the
European
European, or Europeans, may refer to:
In general
* ''European'', an adjective referring to something of, from, or related to Europe
** Ethnic groups in Europe
** Demographics of Europe
** European cuisine, the cuisines of Europe and other West ...
and
Pacific
The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean, or, depending on the definition, to Antarctica in the south, and is bounded by the cont ...
theaters, including as the
executive officer
An executive officer is a person who is principally responsible for leading all or part of an organization, although the exact nature of the role varies depending on the organization.
In many militaries and police forces, an executive officer ...
and the
commanding officer
The commanding officer (CO) or commander, or sometimes, if the incumbent is a general officer, commanding general (CG), is the officer in command of a military unit. The commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually give ...
.
["Amo Bessone - 1986 Legend of College Hockey"]
''Hobey Baker Award
The Hobey Baker Award is an annual award given to the top National Collegiate Athletic Association men's ice hockey player. It has been awarded 44 times. It is named for Hall of Famer Hobey Baker, who played college hockey at Princeton Universit ...
website''. Retrieved December 04, 2020.
Head coaching record
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bessone, Amo
1916 births
2010 deaths
American ice hockey coaches
American men's ice hockey defensemen
Ice hockey players from Massachusetts
Illinois Fighting Illini men's ice hockey players
Michigan State Spartans ice hockey coaches
Michigan Tech Huskies men's ice hockey coaches
Sportspeople from Springfield, Massachusetts
United States Hockey Hall of Fame inductees
United States Navy personnel of World War II
United States Navy officers
Ice hockey coaches from Massachusetts
Military personnel from Massachusetts
20th-century American sportsmen