Massachusetts has hired Tom Upton as an assistant coach for the Minutemen.
Upton comes to UMass following a two-year stint as head coach and general manager of the USHL’s Madison Capitols.
“I am very excited to announce Tom Upton as our new assistant coach and to welcome him, his wife Sarah and their young family to the University of Massachusetts,” said UMass head coach Greg Carvel in a statement. “Tommy is an experienced recruiter, has worked at many levels of hockey, and this past year proved that he is also an exceptional coach. Serving as head coach and general manager of the Madison Capitols, Tommy built that team and coached them to the USHL Finals, a first in that organization’s history. Tommy has earned an outstanding reputation for his work ethic, his ability to recruit and to coach. Beyond all of this, and most importantly, I see him as an excellent fit with our program and culture.”
“My family and I are extremely excited to join the UMass and Amherst communities,” added Upton. “I would like to thank the administration at UMass as well as Greg Carvel and his staff for their diligence during this process and for allowing me to join their hockey program. Being able to work for a top program in college hockey and alongside a great coach like Greg Carvel and the other staff members is something I am very grateful and thankful for. I hope to help carry on the tremendous culture and expectation that has been created here. Once I came to campus and felt how special not only the University is, but also how special the people are, I was hooked. Let’s get to work.”
Upton joined Madison following three years as an assistant coach at Mercyhurst. While at Mercyhurst, Upton helped lead the Lakers to an Atlantic Hockey regular-season title as the Lakers’ offense ranked eighth in the nation.
He played collegiate hockey at Wisconsin-Stevens Point from 2006 to 2010 where he posted two goals and 11 assists over the course of 89 games.
He appeared in five games, scoring one goal for the SPHL’s Columbus Cottonmouths before beginning his coaching career with the Pointers. He spent three seasons as an assistant coach for his alma mater, recruiting a team that made three straight Division III Frozen Four appearances earning one national championship and two national championship runner-up finishes.
