Bassett, Matt
CLIFTON PARK — Matt Bassett of St. Pete Beach, Fla., and a native of Clifton Park, died February 22, 2022, at his Florida home after a short illness. He passed away living a very full life as a father, husband and mentor at the age of 62.
Bassett is survived by his wife, Tracy, the love of his life and his best friend whom he met at Green Mountain College, and their two children, Taylor (Veronica) Bassett of Charlotte, N.C., and Halie Bassett (Ryan) of Denver, Colo. He also is survived by his siblings, Michael (Joyce) Bassett of Clifton Park, Susan (Roland) Graves of Clifton Park, John (Leslie) Bassett of Menands, and Brian (Tina) Bassett, of Panama City, Fla. He also is survived by his father, Donald Bassett, a longtime coach and educator in the Capital Region; and his inlaws, Robert and Carmella Savage. He was predeceased by his mother, Mary E. “Betty” Bassett, who died in 2009, and his sister-in-law Jean Bassett.
His many nieces and nephews loved uncle Matt as the kind-hearted dependable DJ who could be counted on to lead lively conversations at family gatherings. He made them laugh with his unique sense of humor.
Bassett’s “second home” was the Saratoga Race Course. He could be found during the meet in section T where he would set up a lawn chair and watch the horses down the stretch as they headed for home. He would get to the track to check out the Racing Form and morning workouts in a tie-dye shirt he made with his daughter or his “The Dude” shirt and hat. Throughout the day he would be greeted and surrounded by friends and family.
Matt was the kind of guy who garnered as much respect in a Hawaiian shirt and sandals as he did in a suit and tie. But either way he made everyone around him feel relaxed and respected.
He and Tracy enjoyed spending time at their camp at Brant Lake in the Adirondacks. They also enjoyed taking long walks by the ocean in their new home in St. Pete Beach. He had a lifelong love of music and enjoyed live entertainment — from small venues in downtown Saratoga Springs to concerts at the Syracuse Dome and SPAC. He purchased season tickets to watch Tom Brady and the Buccaneers win a Super Bowl and make the playoffs.
A 1977 graduate of Catholic Central High School, Matt was inducted in 2001, to the school’s Hall of Fame. His speech could very well have been the shortest in Hall of Fame history, encouraging those who wanted to talk about high school days to meet him in the bar. He was a multi-sport athlete who earned a football scholarship to UConn and later transferred to play baseball at Old Dominion. Although people were drawn to him, Matt was a humble man with profound integrity. He never wanted to be the center of attention.
Matt attended Old Dominion and had master’s degrees from Syracuse University and UAlbany.
Bassett retired as the athletic director of LeMoyne College in June 2019, after 12 years at the institution. In the fall of 2010, Bassett was promoted to assistant vice president for Intercollegiate Athletics and Campus Recreation.
He retired with more than three decades of experience and leadership as a coach and administrator in Division I, II, and III institutions. Bassett began his professional career in athletics as a men’s basketball coach. He was a member of the Syracuse University staff that advanced to the 1987 Final Four, served as the head coach at Green Mountain College for four years and was an assistant coach and assistant director of Athletics for Student Services for seven years at Quinnipiac University. He then joined Binghamton University in 1997, as the associate director of Intercollegiate Athletics and was elevated to senior associate director in 1999.
Among Bassett’s most recognized accomplishments was the development of mission-based athletic culture program that received both national and international acclaim culminating in an invitation from the Vatican in October of 2016, where Bassett represented Le Moyne at the first-ever Global Conference of Sport and Faith — "Sport at the Service of Humanity". Bassett was the only NCAA athletic director to be invited to the global summit, which included 150 leaders from around the world to consider the role of sport in the formation of faith. For his continued efforts to advance Jesuit values and missionbased programming, Bassett was recognized in 2012, with Le Moyne’s Ignatian Mission Award.
A celebration of life will be held in the summer, and you can bet it will be held during track season.
“The Dude Abides.”