Mercyhurst announced Monday that Tom Upton has been hired as a new assistant coach.
Upton replaces former assistant coach Joe Mormina, who took a position with the AHL’s Hartford Wolfpack.
“I would first like to thank coaches Rick Gotkin and Greg Gardner for this great opportunity,” said Upton in a statement. “I have always heard tremendous things about Mercyhurst, but most of all, I have heard of the great people that are involved in this program and athletic department. Since my first time on campus, I could feel that this was a special place.”
Upton spent his college career with Wisconsin-Stevens Point from 2006 to 2010. During his time with the Pointers, he appeared in 89 games while recording two goals and 11 assists for 13 points.
During his professional playing career, Upton played five games with the Columbus Cottonmouths of the Southern Professional Hockey League.
He then began his coaching career during the 2010-11 season at UWSP. He served as an assistant coach for three seasons (2010-13).
During the 2013-14 season, he became an assistant coach for the Cedar Rapids Rough Riders of the United States Hockey League. He spent one season with the Rough Riders before becoming the general manager and head coach of the Minnesota Magicians of the North American Hockey League. After two seasons with the Magicians, he became the assistant coach for the Youngstown Phantoms of the USHL.
“I am extremely excited for my family and I to become part of the Laker family and I look forward to helping not only our hockey program achieve its goals, but also look forward to helping our student-athletes learn and grow athletically, academically and, most of all, as people,” noted Upton.
“I am amazed by how many qualified coaches applied for the position, but we are so happy to have Tommy Upton join our staff,” added Gotkin. “Tom has a diverse coaching background, starting at Wisconsin-Stevens Point, being a head coach in the North American Hockey League and most recently coaching in the USHL. He is going to provide so much to our program. We welcome Tom, his wife Sarah and his son Briggs to the Mercyhurst family.”
