The Rumors are Over, Shannon Miller Staying at UMD!

I'm sure this will be in Monday's News Tribune (click the title to go tot he paper's story,) but I happen to be awake and just found this...all the Internet rumors can die down.

Miller says she’ll return for another season at UMD
Andy Greder Duluth News Tribune
Published Sunday, March 23, 2008
Minnesota Duluth coach Shannon Miller had a personal announcement at a team meeting Wednesday night: She will return for a 10th season behind the Bulldog bench.

Miller informally entertained the coaching position at Syracuse (N.Y.) University, which will begin a women’s hockey program in the 2008-09 season, but decided her present situation is better than starting a new program.

“There are a lot of reasons [to stay]; one is that we have such a great program and such a great tradition here,” Miller said Saturday at the DECC after her team won its fourth national championship in eight years. “It’s interesting. I’m writing notes about how great our program is to share with our team to give us confidence and I think, ‘You know, I have it so good here.’ ”

The Bulldogs greeted Miller’s decision with cheers.

“It was pretty exciting because she is a great coach,” freshman forward Laura Fridfinnson said. “We’ve won everything we could win, and it’s great to know she is back and hopefully we can repeat this season.”

Miller, who has compiled a234-61-25 record in nine seasons at UMD, said she thought about the benefits of taking the Syracuse job because it likely would entail better financial and recruiting resources at the school with Division I teams in 18 sports. UMD, meanwhile is Division II in every other sport besides men’s and women’s hockey. Miller also thought about the challenge of building another program from scratch, but said she never officially applied for or was offered the job.

“This is where I belong,” said Miller, a finalist for the American Hockey Coaches Association women’s coach of the year award. “I love these players. I love thisprogram.”

Freshman forward Haley Irwin selected UMD because of Miller and her assistant coaches Julie Chu and Caroline Ouellette.

“I picked this program because of the coaching staff,” Irwin said. “Every day when they step on the ice, they want to teach us. They are willing to sacrifice themselves to make us better hockey players. You couldn’t ask for a better coaching staff than that.”