Former UMD women's hockey coach Shannon Miller has new coaching job

Former longtime University of Minnesota Duluth women's hockey coach Shannon Miller has a new coaching job.

The Calgary Inferno of the Canadian Women's Hockey League announced Saturday that Miller will be the team's next head coach.

"This will feel a bit like coming home," Miller, a native of Saskatchewan, said in a news release. She lived in Calgary while she coached the Canadian national women's hockey team in the 1990s. "I respect the league that many people have worked hard to build, attracting the best players in the world, and I'm honored to move back to Calgary and be a part of it."

"Growing up in Alberta in the '90s, I am familiar with Shannon's history here and have followed her accomplishments since then," Inferno general manager Kristen Hagg said in a news release. "It is pretty surreal to now have an opportunity to work alongside her."

Miller guided UMD to five national championships in 16 seasons with the Bulldogs, from 1999 through 2015. But her contract was not renewed in December 2014.

After initially citing financial reasons for Miller's termination, the university later argued her performance had declined. UMD failed to qualify for the NCAA tournament during Miller's final four seasons.

Miller sued the university, arguing in her federal lawsuit that the real reason for her firing was gender discrimination and retaliation for her complaining about harassment, as well as her repeated reports of disparities in funding between the women's and men's hockey programs at UMD.

She also claimed the working environment at UMD was sexist and that she received hate mail but that UMD officials did nothing in response to her complaints.

In March of this year, a jury in Duluth sided with Miller and awarded her $3.74 million in damages. Miller also is part of a separate state lawsuit filed against the university.

The Canadian Women's Hockey League is a seven-team professional league.