University of Massachusetts hockey has hired Tom Upton as an assistant coach, contingent upon the successful completion of a background check, head coach Greg Carvel announced on Tuesday.
Upton comes to UMass following a two-year stint as head coach and general manager of the Madison Capitols of the United States Hockey League (USHL).
"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 Carvel. "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 Capitals, 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," said 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!"
With more than a decade of coaching experience to his credit, Upton has mentored over 20 players who signed NHL contracts, two Hobey Baker Award winners and a Hobey Baker Award Top 10 finalist.
Upton began his tenure in Madison in April 2020 and coached his first season behind the bench in 2021-22, leading the Capitols to a record of 30-29-3-0. The squad won seven of its last 10 games to reach the Clark Cup Final.
Upton, a native of Austin, Texas, 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 University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point from 2006-2010 where he posted two goals and 11 assists over the course of 89 games. Upton appeared in five games, scoring one goal for the Columbus Cottonmouths of the Southern Professional Hockey League 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.
Upton went onto become an assistant coach with the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders during the 2013-14 season before moving into a head coach and general manager position with the Minnesota Magicians of the North American Hockey League. During his tenure with the Magicians, he led the team to their first postseason appearance in franchise history.
After two seasons with the Minnesota Magicians, Upton joined the Youngstown Phantoms as an assistant coach, and helped to draft a team that was named the 2017-18 Eastern Conference Champions and Clark Cup Final Runner-Up.