BOSTON, MA - For his efforts in leading his school to its first outright regular season title and first appearance in the NCAA Championship Game, University of New Hampshire head coach Richard Umile is college hockey's University Division Coach of the Year. Umile will receive the prestigious Spencer Penrose Award at the American Hockey Coaches (AHCA) Awards Banquet on Saturday, May 1, in Naples, Florida.

The Spencer Penrose Award is named after the former Colorado Springs benefactor whose generosity built the Broodmoor Hotel and Broadmoor World Arena, host site of the first ten NCAA Hockey Championships.

New Hampshire's Wildcats enjoyed a spectacular season, forging a 31-7-3 record and winning the Hockey East regular season crown in dramatic fashion. Trailing Hockey East rival Maine by one point entering the final weekend of the regular season, UNH swept the Black Bears, 6-1 and 4-1, before two standing room only crowds at the Whittemore Center in Durham. Maine's highly respected power play was held scoreless over 12 man-advantage situations on the weekend.

Overtime games figured prominently down the stretch for the Wildcats as they lost the Hockey East Championship Game to Boston College, 5-4 in OT; eliminated defending NCAA Champion Michigan in the NCAA East Regional, 2-1 in OT; and then missed a national championship by a goal when Maine prevailed in a classic NCAA Championship Game, 3-2 in OT.

For Umile, the 1998-99 Hockey East Coach of the Year (for the third time), this is his first national Coach of the Year honor. He is the second UNH coach to be so honored, following his own mentor, Charlie Holt, who received this award on three occasions (1969, 1974, and 1979).

A native of Melrose, MA (like Holt), Umile is a 1972 graduate of New Hampshire. In nine seasons as head coach of the Wildcats, he has a record of 205-111-22. His 200th career win came on the night UNH clinched the Hockey East regular season crown.

Runner-up for this award was Ron Mason of Michigan State University, the 1992 recipient.