Jean Laforest joined the Spartans in 2019 as the head coach of the women's hockey team, with the the program having been set to begin play in Canada West in 2020-21.
Laforest came to TWU having spent his previous four years with the Simcoe County district school board as the athletic coordinator. Prior to serving as an athletic coordinator with the Simcoe County district school board, Laforest had coached within the university, junior and professional ranks since 1993.
In his coaching job with the Mount Royal University men's team, he won an ACAC Coach of the Year award in 2010 and league championship in 2011, before overseeing the team's transition into U SPORTS in 2012.
Laforest was head coach of the Youngstown Steelhounds of the CHL from 2005 to 2006, and the NCAA University of Wisconsin Eau Claire men's hockey team between 2002 to 2005, where he won NCHA Coach of the Year in 2004.
Laforest has a Bachelor of Arts degrees in Sociology and Physical Education from McMaster University, and a Master of Arts in Coaching from the University of Western Ontario.
