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Men's Ice Hockey
Thomas Upton
- Title:
- Class of 1975 Head Coach for Men’s Hockey
- Email:
- thomas_upton@brown.edu
- Joined Brown:
- February 2026
- Alma Mater:
- Wisconsin - Stevens Point '10
Thomas Upton is in his first season as the Class of 1975 Head Coach for Men’s Hockey in 2026-27. Upton came to College Hill in the spring of 2026 as the 16th head coach in Brown program history.
Upton brings over a decade of coaching experience to Brown, most recently serving as an assistant coach at UMass for the past four seasons, as well as three seasons as a head coach and general manager at the junior hockey level.
To date, Upton has worked with over 20 players who signed National Hockey League (NHL) contracts and two Hobey Baker Award winners.
At UMass, he helped guide the Minutemen to multiple postseason appearances and continued national prominence, including two NCAA Tournament berths in 2024 and 2025 and the NCAA Regional Final in Fargo in 2025. He helped mentor two All-Americans, three New England All-Stars, seven Hockey East All-Stars and two Hockey East All-Rookie Team selections during his time in Amherst. UMass finished the 2025-26 season ranked 16th in the nation in both the USCHO and the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine Polls.
In the junior hockey ranks, Upton spent two seasons (2020-22) as head coach and general manager of the Madison Capitols of the United States Hockey League (USHL). Under his leadership, the Capitols won a franchise-record 30 games in 2021-22, en route to being named the USHL Organization of the Year. That same year, Madison won the Eastern Conference Championship and appeared in the Clark Cup Finals, with a team featuring three future NHL draft picks.
Upton also brings national team experience to College Hill, having spent the summer of 2022 as an assistant coach for the USA Hockey Hlinka National Team.
Upton spent three collegiate seasons as an assistant coach at Mercyhurst from 2017-20, helping lead the Lakers to an Atlantic Hockey America (AHA) regular-season title in 2017-18.
Upton spent the 2016-17 season as the forwards coach and power play coordinator for the Youngstown Phantoms of the USHL. The Phantoms featured 30 NCAA Division I recruits and seven future NHL players. He served as head coach and general manager of the Minnesota Magicians of the North American Hockey League (NAHL) in 2014-15, leading the team to its first postseason appearance in franchise history.
Upton spent the 2013-14 season as an assistant coach for the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders of the USHL, coaching eight NHL draft picks.
As a collegiate player, Upton competed at the University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point from 2006-10. He then played in five professional games and scored one goal for the Columbus Cottonmouths of the Southern Professional Hockey League before beginning his coaching career at his alma mater. In his three seasons as an assistant coach from 2010-13, Upton recruited teams that won one national championship and twice finished as the national runner-up.
WHAT THEY ARE SAYING ABOUT COACH UPTON
"Everyone at UMass Hockey is ecstatic for Tommy. I hired Tommy four years ago because I needed someone to help me build culture and connection throughout our program. He is extraordinary at holding players accountable while earning their trust and connecting with them. I will really miss working with him closely and will forever be grateful for what he has done for me and our UMass hockey program. Tommy has a ton of experience throughout every level of amateur hockey, and he is ready for this next challenge." - Greg Carvel, University of Massachusetts Amherst Head Men's Ice Hockey Coach
"Tom Upton's experience, energy, and passion for the game will be instrumental in developing players who know how to work hard and give more than anyone else on the ice. The Upton family will be a welcome addition to the Brown community." - Rick Gotkin, Mercyhurst University Head Men's Ice Hockey Coach
"Tom is a great coach, strong communicator and has an innate ability to lead. He is a man of strong character who cares deeply about his family, which shows through in how he treats his players and staff. Discipline, accountability and attention to detail are paramount to the culture he establishes through his leadership. Most importantly, Tom is a man of integrity and honesty who understands how to develop hockey players and build an organization the right way." - Andrew Joudrey, Madison Capitols President & CEO
COLLEGIATE HEAD COACHING RECORDS
COACHING TIMELINE
Upton brings over a decade of coaching experience to Brown, most recently serving as an assistant coach at UMass for the past four seasons, as well as three seasons as a head coach and general manager at the junior hockey level.
To date, Upton has worked with over 20 players who signed National Hockey League (NHL) contracts and two Hobey Baker Award winners.
At UMass, he helped guide the Minutemen to multiple postseason appearances and continued national prominence, including two NCAA Tournament berths in 2024 and 2025 and the NCAA Regional Final in Fargo in 2025. He helped mentor two All-Americans, three New England All-Stars, seven Hockey East All-Stars and two Hockey East All-Rookie Team selections during his time in Amherst. UMass finished the 2025-26 season ranked 16th in the nation in both the USCHO and the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine Polls.
In the junior hockey ranks, Upton spent two seasons (2020-22) as head coach and general manager of the Madison Capitols of the United States Hockey League (USHL). Under his leadership, the Capitols won a franchise-record 30 games in 2021-22, en route to being named the USHL Organization of the Year. That same year, Madison won the Eastern Conference Championship and appeared in the Clark Cup Finals, with a team featuring three future NHL draft picks.
Upton also brings national team experience to College Hill, having spent the summer of 2022 as an assistant coach for the USA Hockey Hlinka National Team.
Upton spent three collegiate seasons as an assistant coach at Mercyhurst from 2017-20, helping lead the Lakers to an Atlantic Hockey America (AHA) regular-season title in 2017-18.
Upton spent the 2016-17 season as the forwards coach and power play coordinator for the Youngstown Phantoms of the USHL. The Phantoms featured 30 NCAA Division I recruits and seven future NHL players. He served as head coach and general manager of the Minnesota Magicians of the North American Hockey League (NAHL) in 2014-15, leading the team to its first postseason appearance in franchise history.
Upton spent the 2013-14 season as an assistant coach for the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders of the USHL, coaching eight NHL draft picks.
As a collegiate player, Upton competed at the University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point from 2006-10. He then played in five professional games and scored one goal for the Columbus Cottonmouths of the Southern Professional Hockey League before beginning his coaching career at his alma mater. In his three seasons as an assistant coach from 2010-13, Upton recruited teams that won one national championship and twice finished as the national runner-up.
WHAT THEY ARE SAYING ABOUT COACH UPTON
"Everyone at UMass Hockey is ecstatic for Tommy. I hired Tommy four years ago because I needed someone to help me build culture and connection throughout our program. He is extraordinary at holding players accountable while earning their trust and connecting with them. I will really miss working with him closely and will forever be grateful for what he has done for me and our UMass hockey program. Tommy has a ton of experience throughout every level of amateur hockey, and he is ready for this next challenge." - Greg Carvel, University of Massachusetts Amherst Head Men's Ice Hockey Coach
"Tom Upton's experience, energy, and passion for the game will be instrumental in developing players who know how to work hard and give more than anyone else on the ice. The Upton family will be a welcome addition to the Brown community." - Rick Gotkin, Mercyhurst University Head Men's Ice Hockey Coach
"Tom is a great coach, strong communicator and has an innate ability to lead. He is a man of strong character who cares deeply about his family, which shows through in how he treats his players and staff. Discipline, accountability and attention to detail are paramount to the culture he establishes through his leadership. Most importantly, Tom is a man of integrity and honesty who understands how to develop hockey players and build an organization the right way." - Andrew Joudrey, Madison Capitols President & CEO
COLLEGIATE HEAD COACHING RECORDS
| Season | School/Team | Overall | Pct. | Conference | Conf. Pct. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-27 | Brown | - | - | - | - |
| at Brown | One Season | - | - | - | - |
| Total | One Season | - | - | - | - |
COACHING TIMELINE
| Season | School/Team | Title |
|---|---|---|
| 2010-2013 | Wisconsin - Stevens Point | Assistant Coach |
| 2013-2014 | Cedar Rapids RoughRiders (USHL) | Assistant Coach |
| 2014-2015 | Minnesota Magicians (NAHL) | Head Coach/General Manager |
| 2016-2017 | Youngstown Phantoms (USHL) | Forwards Coach/Power Play Coordinator |
| 2017-2020 | Mercyhurst | Assistant Coach |
| 2020-2022 | Madison Capitols (USHL) | Head Coach/General Manager |
| 2022-2026 | UMass | Assistant Coach |
| 2026-27-present | Brown | Class of 1975 Head Coach |
Friday, March 06
Sunday, March 01
Sunday, March 01
Tuesday, February 17
