A former NCAA coach will be leading the Brock Badgers men’s hockey team.
T.J. Manastersky has been announced as the new head coach of the Brock Badgers men’s hockey team.
“I’ve been a fan of U SPORTS my entire life,” he said. “The opportunity to coach at that level and pursue a national championship is a dream come true.”
Manastersky takes over the role from Kevin Forrest, who served as interim head coach for the 2021-22 season after Marty Williamson was hired by the Ontario Hockey League’s Barrie Colts.
Throughout his athletic career that saw him play in the Ontario Junior Hockey League, NCAA and Southern Professional Hockey League, Manastersky earned an undergraduate degree in English Writing Arts with a minor in Athletic Coaching at the State University of New York Oswego, and a Master of Science in Education, Health and Physical Education from Canisius College in Buffalo.
He went on to serve as an assistant coach at Canisius and Fredonia State before becoming head coach of Curry College in Milton, Mass., from 2012 to 2021.
He was the youngest head coach in the NCAA in his first year, and was named Commonwealth Coast Conference Coach of the Year in 2018-19.
For 2021-22, Manastersky was named assistant coach of the Division 1 Union College men’s hockey team, where he focused heavily on player development and recruitment.
He also recently served as an assistant coach for the Hungarian Under-18 national team at the World Championships.
Manastersky joins the Badgers at a transitional year for both the men’s and women’s hockey teams as they move into their new home at Canada Games Park.
Both teams are also coming off U SPORTS National Championships berths.
“I’m a big believer in what Melissa (Krist) is building at Brock,” he said. “I think there’s a lot of great things happening.”
Manastersky said he plans to use his NCAA recruiting experience to help develop the team at Brock, while also putting a significant focus on academics and creating well-rounded student-athletes.