Air Force director of hockey Steve Miller, a three-time NCAA champion assistant coach, was named to the coaching staff of the U.S. World Junior team on Wednesday. Miller, 50, will work under head coach Bob Motzko, who holds the same title at St. Cloud State. The Americans will compete for gold at the under-20 tournament that begins Dec. 26 in Montreal and Toronto.
Miller joined Air Force last summer after helping lead Providence to the 2015 national title. He worked under George Gwozdecky for 19 years and another half season for Gwozdecky’s successor, Jim Montgomery, before briefly becoming a junior-A head coach and general manager in 2014. He ultimately joined the Providence staff for the 2014-15 season as associate head coach, and en route to the national title, the Friars upset Denver in the NCAA Tournament quarterfinals.
“Really honored to be part of the staff and to work for Bob and USA Hockey,” said Miller, who worked alongside Motzko and under Gwozdecky at Miami (Ohio) in 1992-93. “Seems like yesterday when we were working together for Coach Gwozdecky. This is a great tournament and a great challenge and I’m very thankful for this opportunity.”
Miller was Denver’s recruiting coordinator when the Pioneers won the 2004 and 2005 NCAA championships. While at Denver, Miller recruited 41 NHL draft choices, 15 All-Americans and a Hobey Baker Award winner in defenseman Matt Carle in 2006. In 2009, Miller won the American Hockey Coaches Association’s Terry Flanagan Award, which recognizes an assistant coach’s career body of work.
