It is generally accepted that the modification of the sea surface temperature (SST) in response to tropical cyclone forcing can have a feedback effect on the evolution of the storm intensity. The recent application of coupled atmosphere-ocean forecast models attempts to account for changes in SST during the forecast period. The evolution of the SST in the wake of a tropical cyclone is largely a result of one-dimensional vertical mixing processes in combination with the three-dimensional thermocline upwelling behind the storm. The upwelling, however, takes about half an inertial period to evolve, so the changes in SST directly under the storm are due primarily to direct wind stirring. This study examines whether a simple, robust ocean mixed layer model can be used for coupled tropical cyclone forecast modeling. A coupled system using this method would avoid many of the complications of globally relocatable ocean modeling. Results are presented from idealized and real-case, uncoupled and coupled simulations.