The Madison Capitols announced the hiring of Mercyhurst assistant coach Tom Upton as Head Coach and General Manager for the 2020-21 season on Monday. Upton takes the reins as the fourth head coach in Capitols history.
Upton joins the Capitols behind the bench following three seasons as an assistant coach for Mercyhurst University. Prior to Mercyhurst, Upton was an assistant in both Youngstown and Cedar Rapids, sandwiching two seasons as head coach of the Minnesota Magicians in the North American Hockey League.
“My family and I are extremely excited to be part of the Caps organization,” says Upton. “Before interviewing, I was excited about the prospect of being in Madison. After spending time talking with Andrew [Joudrey] and Ryan [Suter], and hearing their vision and plan they have for the future for the organization, I am more excited than ever. There have been great things building from the business side, and we can’t wait to build the hockey operations up the same way.”
Upton’s coaching history began as an assistant coach at the University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point immediately following the conclusion of four seasons as a player for the Pointers.
“I would like to thank Tom for his three years of commitment, dedication, and passion that he gave every day,” said Mercyhurst head coach Rick Gotkin. “He always brought great energy and enthusiasm and that rubbed off on our entire program. Tommy leaves Mercyhurst with an Atlantic Hockey Association championship on his resume in 2017, and he knows what it takes to win. Our entire program will miss his infectious personality but we are all very excited for him as he begins his new opportunity as the Head Coach and General Manager of the Madison Capitols of the United States Hockey League, which is regarded as one of the best development leagues in the country. On behalf of our entire program I would like to wish Tommy, Sarah, and Briggs the best of luck, and continued success as they begin this new chapter in their lives.”
Throughout Upton’s 10 years of coaching, some of his accolades include: working with over 20 players who signed NHL contracts, two Hobey Baker Award winners, and one other Hobey Baker Award Top 10 finalist. Upton led the Magicians to their first ever NAHL playoff appearance and helped the Lakers win the Atlantic Hockey Conference Championship in his first season at Mercyhurst behind an 8th-ranked offense nationally.
“My biggest goal is to make Madison a place where players want to come and families want to send their kids,” says Upton. “We’re going to take care of our players and make Madison a great place for kids to develop on and off the ice, while having a fun experience. Our plan is to win. We’re going to talk about winning, we’re going to expect to win, and we’re going to act like winners in everything that we do. We’re going to give the fans of the Capitols and the Madison area a product they’re going to be proud of.”
