After meeting with university officials three months ago to discuss possible candidates for athletics director, Ron Mason walked out of the meeting and everything suddenly clicked.

“I walked away from that meeting and said, ‘You know, I think I’d be the right person for that position,’” Mason said.

Mason’s suspicion became reality at a press conference Monday. MSU’s hockey coach of 23 years officially announced he will step down as coach at the end of the season and assume the position as MSU’s 16th athletics director beginning July 1. The Board of Trustees will likely approve Mason on Feb. 13.

Mason said the decision was hard, but unlike previous inquiries, the time seemed right.

“It was a difficult decision to give up coaching, and it will always be a major part of my life,” he said.

The Spartans are ranked No. 4 in the nation, but Mason said the program’s success represents more than his efforts.

“We got a great group of players, we got a great team, great program and this is going to continue,” he said.

Mason said his job remains as the hockey head coach for the remainder of the season, and his goal remains to win the next game. At the end of the season a formal coaching search will begin.

Mason’s contract isn’t official, but expectations from MSU officials is that it will be a multiyear deal.

“We expect his contract to be a five-year contract,” MSU president M. Peter McPherson said. “We’re working on the details of it, but this man is going to be here many years.”

His current salary is $173,215 after the university gave him a $20,000 increase to his base salary in October. Clarence Underwood, who will retire June 30, makes $161,400 as athletics director.

Mason’s decision comes just two and a half months after the university hired a firm to help in a nationwide search to find Underwood’s successor.

The global executive search company Spencer Stuart was paid $100,000 to provide guidance in the decision-making process.

“I think I anticipated it to be somewhere around that figure and they did an excellent job,” said Fred Poston, vice president for finance and operations. “They made well over a hundred calls to qualified people.”

McPherson agreed the company picked suitable candidates, both internally and externally.

“One of the key things here was that we hired this search firm with the view we would do a nationwide search - which we did do,” McPherson said.

“It’s a very serious search that not always, but often is benefited from a search firm, because they’re going to be full-time at it. This job is an important job and I wanted to have somebody do that.”

Mason will report to Poston, which has been common practice. Mason said some decisions will need the approval of McPherson and other university officials.

“The day-to-day operations will be with Dr. Poston,” Mason said. “I think it’s almost impossible to have the president be involved in day-to-day things.

“Obviously, on the big issues they will be directly involved, but with most of the issues I have a free hand to do what I need to.”

But Poston said Mason was smart in not rushing his decision.

“Ron does things very deliberately, not spur of the moment,” Poston said. “I think that’s what made him the best candidate.”

Ryan Wallace can be reached wallac89@msu.edu.