PC’s Nate Leaman One of Eight Finalists for NCAA D-1 Coach of the Year

PC news release…

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Providence College Men’s Hockey Head Coach Nate Leaman has been named one of eight finalists for the Spencer Penrose Award, given annually to the NCAA Division I Men’s Ice Hockey Coach of the Year.

Voting will be conducted prior to this year’s Frozen Four in Boston, Mass. and the winner will be announced on Wednesday, April 8.

This season, with wins over Miami and Denver in the NCAA East Regional semifinal and final, Leaman has guided the Friars to the Frozen Four for the first time in 30 years. Providence (24-13-2) has totaled the most wins by a Friar team since the 1982-83 season. And he guided the Friars to a second consecutive appearance in the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history.

Leaman also won the Spencer Penrose Award in 2011 while at Union College.

The eight nominees represent each coach who has won or shared Coach of the Year honors in his conference this season, as well as coaches whose teams have advanced to the NCAA Division I Men’s Ice Hockey semifinals. Of this year’s finalists, two are past recipients of this award: two-time winner Dean Blais of Omaha (winner in 1997 and 2001 while at North Dakota) and Leaman.

The Spencer Penrose Award is named in memory of the Colorado Springs benefactor who built the Broadmoor Hotel Complex, site of the first ten NCAA championship hockey tournaments. The actual award will be presented at the AHCA Coach of the Year Banquet in Naples, Florida, on Saturday evening, May 2. The AHCA Coach of the Year Awards are chosen by members of the American Hockey Coaches Association and sponsored by STX.