| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born | November 22, 1922 Sagamore, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Died | January 9, 2010 (aged 87) |
| Playing career | |
| 1940–1943 | Illinois |
| Position(s) | Defenseman |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1948–1951 | Michigan Tech |
| 1951–1979 | Michigan State |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 387–458–22 (.459) |
| Tournaments | 4–2 (.667) |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Championships | |
| 1966 NCAA National Champion | |
| Awards | |
| 1966 Spencer Penrose Award | |
| Military career | |
| Buried | Calvary Cemetery |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Service |  United States Navy |
| Years of service | 1942–1946 |
| Rank |  Ensign |
Amos "Betts" Bessone (November 22, 1916 – January 9, 2010) was a collegiate ice hockey player and head coach.
Bessone was born in Sagamore, Massachusetts, on Cape Cod, and raised in West Springfield, Massachusetts, 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."[1] He was one of the most colorful college coaches of his era with a trademark whistle he used to signal line changes.[2]
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.[2]
- ^ "Longtime MSU hockey coach Amo Bessone dies". Lansing State Journal. 2010. Retrieved 2010-01-11. [dead link]
- ^ a b "Longtime Spartan coach Bessone shaped foundation of college game". Lansing State Journal. 2010. Retrieved 2010-01-12.