Liberty University Club Sports Athletics
DI women’s hockey Assistant Coach Forth retires, Graham returns after stint at DIII men’s helm
4/19/2023 1:50:53 PM | Women's D1 Hockey
There has been a changing of the guard on the bench of Liberty University’s five-time-defending ACHA Division I women’s hockey team, with longtime Assistant Coach Justin Forth stepping down and Flames third-year Division III men’s hockey Head Coach Josh Graham stepping back in to take his place.
“(Graham) has been a part of the women’s hockey program for a long time and we are excited to have him back,” Lady Flames sixth-year Head Coach Chris Lowes said. “I have a lot of respect for his teaching ability within the game and am excited for what he brings and to see him leave his stamp on the program.”
Forth recommended Graham to Lowes when he took over the helm from Paul Bloomfield in 2017 after serving as the Flames’ DII men’s hockey head coach for the previous nine seasons. Graham coached alongside Lowes and Forth for the first two of their five consecutive ACHA DI national championships before taking the reins of the DIII men in 2020-21.
“We coached three years together, and (Graham) is still involved as goalies coach, and still invested in the team, as a key guy in arranging the trip over to Finland and going on that trip and serving (in Forth’s place) on the ice for 10 days over there,” Lowes said. “It’s something Josh and I have always talked about and with the way things happened, he is just a natural fit and it is a real good situation for us.”
Graham, who received his M.Div. in Biblical Studies in 2021, also serves as Club Sports Christian Development Coordinator which will make him all the more invaluable to have on staff.
“Spiritual development is always our focus for all of us (Club Sports coaches), but he is certainly a great resource with lots of education on the biblical side,” Lowes said. “That will be a big role of his.”
He will assume Forth’s duties in working with the Lady Flames’ forwards, as well as continue to work with its goalies, while Lowes will continue to coordinate the defense and Mike Morrison, Lowes’ longtime DII men’s assistant coach, will be back in the mix as well.
“It will be a new look, but a very easy transition for our staff and our players,” Lowes said. “Josh has kind of jumped in with both feet and it will be a fun summer as we plan and put the pieces together.”
He will miss Forth’s presence on the bench, though Forth will still serve as his right-hand man as his assistant director of events and facilities.
“He’s got three kids and he has sacrificed a lot and realizes how hard (coaching) is with a family,” Lowes said. “You can’t help but respect his decision.”
He said Forth implemented some new systems on Liberty’s offense this season and also had a major impact on special teams play, especially with the penalty kill unit, which was a highlight of the team’s success.
“Justin has been around for it all,” Lowes said. “He’s seen this program come from nothing, along with Paul and Scott Bloomfield, into what it is and what we get to enjoy on the current staff. I hope people understand how big of a role he played in getting us to where we’re at. It has been such a great experience for me coaching with him for these six years, learning from him and being thankful for his strengths and how they balanced out the other coaches. What an amazing run we’ve had.”
With Forth still on his events and facilities staff, he will still be a sounding board for Lowes.
“He’ll still be a resource for our staff and our players as they leave,” Lowes said. “It will be great to have him still around to bounce ideas off and to know how we did things in past years. He will still have his finger on the pulse of the program for years to come.”
Forth noted that his final record in his 11 seasons with the program stands at 281-49-15 with five national championships in seven Finals and nine Final Four appearances
“This has been an amazing journey and a big part of my life for a long time,” he said. “As I close this chapter and focus more on my family, I want to thank Paul and Scott Bloomfield, Chris Lowes, (Club Sports Athletic Director and DI men’s hockey Head Coach) Kirk Handy and Club Sports for this opportunity. I have learned much from each of them and am forever grateful. I always wanted to retire in my 30s, so this is a great time for that.”
By Ted Allen/Staff Writer
