Jerry Forton, an 18-year collegiate coaching veteran, is in hissecond season as an assistant coach for the Crimson in 2012-13. Inhis first season with the Crimson, Forton assisted a Harvard squadthat set the all-time collegiate record for ties in a season (11),and earned a first-round bye thanks to a third-place finish in theECAC regular season standings.
Forton served as an assistant coach at UMass Lowell for twoseasons prior to his arrivial in Cambridge, following 13 years onthe Niagara staff. At both schools, he worked with both forwardsand defensemen, oversaw recruiting efforts, scouted opponents andassisted with game strategy. Forton coached or recruited fiveplayers to the River Hawks and seven to the Purple Eagles who weredrafted or signed National Hockey League free-agent contracts.
The 2009-10 season, Forton’s first at Lowell, was alandmark campaign for the program. The River Hawks reached as highas No. 3 in the national polls and tied for third place in HockeyEast at season’s end.
During his tenure at Niagara, Forton helped transform the PurpleEagles from a first-year Division III varsity program in 1996-97 toan NCAA Division I tournament team in 2000, ’04 and’08. Niagara’s 1999-2000 squad finished with a 30-8-1record and reached the NCAA semifinals.
Niagara won four conference regular-season championships andfour tournament titles in Forton’s time there. The PurpleEagles ranked among the nation’s top 20 in six of their 11Division I seasons and posted Division I’s longest homeunbeaten streak in a quarter-century with a 23-game undefeatedrun.
Off the ice, Forton assisted with Niagara’s strengthcoaching and monitored its student-athletes academic progress,seeing 44 of 45 players graduate on time.
In addition to his collegegiate coaching, Forton has served as apresenter, team head coach and evaluator at USA Hockey festivalsand has been a presenter at NCAA Youth Education through SportsClinics.
A 1986 University of Buffalo graduate, Forton was a member ofthe UB hockey team from 1982-86, serving as an assistant captainhis junior and senior years. He was also a four-year goalkeeper onthe Bulls soccer team and ranks third among all-time leaders incareer goals-against average (1.39) and wins (19).
Forton was a three-time SUNY Center Conference soccer standoutand the Most Valuable Player of the conference tournament as ajunior. He was also named to the National Soccer CoachesAssociation first team as a junior and senior. Forton earned a lawdegree from UB in 1989 and opened a law practice in Buffalo. Healso spent six years (1990-96) as an assistant with the Bulls men'ssoccer team and was inducted into the UB Athletic Hall of Fame in1997.
A fitness enthusiast, Forton has twice competed in the NationalIronman Triathlon Championship.
A native of Buffalo, he has served on the board of directors fortwo charities, the Early Childhood Foundation and Sea Fever, Inc.,which provide funding and craftsman opportunities to disadvantagedchildren in inner city Buffalo.
