Forest was named Shawnee State's offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach in July 2026.
PRIOR TO SHAWNEE STATE
Forest, a native of Columbus, Ohio, graduated from Grandview Heights High School in 1982, where he lettered in football, baseball and wrestling.
After high school, Forest began his coaching career as an assistant at Grandview Heights from 1984-87 before joining Ohio Northern's staff as running backs coach in 1988. He remained with the Polar Bears until July 1991.
Forest earned his bachelor's degree in sports management from Ohio Northern in May 1992 and joined Capital University's football staff as wide receivers coach that August.
After one season with the Crusaders, Forest accepted the tight ends coach position at Grand Valley State in August 1993, under then-head coachÂ
Brian Kelly. In 1995 he became the Lakers' wide receivers coach, where he remained until 2003. During his 10-year tenure in Allendale, Forest coached in three consecutive NCAA Division II National Championship games, winning back-to-back national titles in 2002 and 2003. Forest coached and mentored the top-five receivers in Grand Valley State football history, including David Kircus, who was selected by the Detroit Lions in the sixth round of the 2003 NFL Draft.
Forest followed Brian Kelly to Central Michigan in January 2004, becoming the Chippewas' assistant head coach. As the team's running backs coach in 2005, he mentored freshman Ontario Sneed, who rushed for 1,065 yards and eight touchdowns while adding 51 receptions for 433 yards and three touchdowns.
The University of Cincinnati hired Forest in December 2006, where he served as Brian Kelly's quarterbacks coach. While in the Queen City, Forest helped lead the Bearcats to back-to-back Big East Championships, along with bids to the Orange Bowl and Sugar Bowl, in 2008 and 2009. Cincinnati finished the 2009 season 12-0, and was ranked No. 3 in the final BCS rankings.
Forest was instrumental in the development of Cincinnati quarterback Tony Pike, who threw for 2,520 yards and 29 touchdowns in 2009 before being selected by the Carolina Panthers in the sixth round of the 2010 NFL Draft.
Forest also coached then-quarterback Travis Kelce during the 2008 season before the future Kansas City Chiefs star moved to tight end in 2009.
Forest was inducted into the Cincinnati Bearcats Football Hall of Fame in 2019.
Forest spent the 2010 season as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at the University of Buffalo.
In 2011, Forest was hired as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at NCAA Division III Buffalo State. During his two-year tenure in New York, Forest helped lead Buffalo to its first winning season since the year 2000 andÂ
snapped Wisconsin-Whitewater's historic 45-game winning streak in 2012.
In 2013, Forest became the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Wilmington College, where he served until 2016.
Forest spent the 2017 season as defensive coordinator at Cincinnati Hughes High School before accepting the offensive coordinator position at Cincinnati Christian University in January 2018. He remained with the program until the university closed in 2019.
Forest returned to the high school ranks in May 2021, joining Cincinnati Winton Woods' coaching staff, where he helped lead the Warriors to the 2021 OHSAA Division II State Championship.
After two seasons in Cincinnati, Forest joined Point University's staff as offensive coordinator in February 2022.
In February 2024, Forest returned to Winton Woods as its offensive coordinator where he served through the 2025 season.
