DENVER (AP) — The Dallas Stars reached into the collegiate ranks to find their new head coach.

The Stars will hire former University of Maine star Jim Montgomery as their next coach, a person with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press on Wednesday. Montgomery takes over for Ken Hitchcock, who retired last month and will become a consultant for the Stars. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the hiring had not been announced.

In this March 2017 photo, Denver head coach Jim Montgomery directs his players during a time-out in the second period of the midwest regional final of the NCAA hockey tournament in Cincinnati. A person with knowledge of the situation tells The Associated Press that the Dallas Stars will hire Montgomery to be their next head coach. Montgomery takes over Ken Hitchcock, who retired last month and will become a consultant for the Stars. The person spoke on condition of anonymity Wednesday because the hiring had not been announced. AP file photo

Montgomery becomes the second college-to-NHL hire in the past three years, following Philadelphia’s Dave Hakstol in 2015. Hakstol was considered one of the premier college coaches at North Dakota before making the switch. The Flyers have gone to the playoffs in two of the three seasons Hakstol has been in charge.

Dallas is banking on a similar showing under the 48-year-old Montgomery, who spent five seasons in charge of the University of Denver, leading them to a national title in 2016-17. He finished 125-57-26 at a university well known for its hockey and lacrosse programs.

Montgomery inherits a Dallas squad led by Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin. The Stars are coming off a season in which they missed the playoffs for the eighth time in 10 seasons. Hitchcock returned for just a season before hanging it up. He’s the only coach to lead the team to a Stanley Cup title.

Before his arrival in Denver, Montgomery spent three seasons as the head coach/general manager of the United States Hockey League’s Dubuque Fighting Saints. He also served as an assistant coach at RPI from 2006-10. He started his coaching career as a volunteer coach at Notre Dame in ’05-06.

As a player, Montgomery scored 103 goals at the University of Maine, where he was a Hobey Baker Award finalist and led the Black Bears to a national title in 1993 before embarking on a 12-year pro career that included stops in an assortment of leagues, including parts of six seasons in the NHL. He finished his career by playing one game for the Stars during the ’02-03 season.

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