A 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) forward, he played for the Royals from 1951 to 1955, scoring 1,066 points in his career (then in the top-ten in Scranton history) and set a school record with 43 rebounds in one senior-year game.
He received a master's degree from East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania in 1968 and served as boys coach for South Catholic High for a time.
In 1972, Bessoir was named head coach, replacing Nat Volpe who resigned mid-season.
Bessoir's 1974–75 team qualified for the first Division III men's basketball tournament, then the following year won the National championship, defeating Wittenberg 60–57 in overtime in the final.
[5] Bessoir's Royals would win another national title in the 1982–83 season with his son Bill as the team's star.