Boston College's Greg Brown A Finalist For Denver Pioneers Coaching Job

According to the Denver Post's Mike Chambers, the University of Denver plans to hire a new hockey coach over the weekend and has narrowed its list down to four candidates:

-- Seth Appert, head coach at Rensselaer
-- Derek Lalonde, head coach of the USHL's Green Bay Gamblers
-- Jim Montgomery, head coach and general manager of the USHL's Dubuque Fighting Saints
-- Greg Brown, associate head coach at Boston College

Appert and Lalonde have already met with the search committee, leaving Montgomery (today) and Brown (Saturday) to interview.

Currently an associate head coach at BC, Brown is in his ninth season as a member of the Eagles' coaching staff. He has helped guide BC to five NCAA Frozen Fours, including titles in 2008, 2010 and 2012. Brown was also a pretty good player in his own right -- a two-time U.S. Olympian, having played for the both the 1988 and 1992 U.S. Olympic men's ice hockey teams and a two-time Hobey Baker finalist in 1989 and 1990 (finishing as the runner up to Michigan State's Kip Miller).

Brown was recently named an assistant coach of the 2014 U.S. National Junior Team that will compete in 2014 IIHF World Junior Championship Dec. 26, 2013 - Jan. 5, 2014, in Malmo, Sweden.

By no means do I want to see Brown leave the Heights, but he has more than earned the right to interview for his own head coaching gig. Brown could also do a lot worse than Denver, consistently one of the top programs in the country. Denver, in turn, could also do a lot worse than hiring Greg Brown. Sometimes you just have to cut your teeth coaching at lesser programs before returning to your alma mater to succeed Coach York behind the Eagles' bench ... in 2033.