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PHOTOS BY University of Denver; Getty Images U sually when there's a head coach opening, a general m a n a g e r o r a t h l e t i c director will cast an eye on a candidate with years of experience. With their jobs on the line too, most executives will make the "safe" choice by opting for a low-risk selection for such an important hire. However, when Jim Montgomery left the University of Denver with a national cham- pionship under his belt for the NHL's Dallas Stars, the Pioneers had the perfect candidate right under their nose. Despite holding no prior head coaching experience, they handed the coaching reins to David Carle, who held an assistant role for four seasons with the Pioneers. In doing so, the 29-year-old became the youngest active head coach in NCAA Div. I hockey. It would be a disservice to say that Carle wasn't qualified, and familiarity was certainly in his favor, as well as his work ethic. Out of high school, the Anchorage, Alaska, native went to DU to play on the blueline. Unfortunately, Carle didn't get a chance to step under the lights of Magness Arena as he was diagnosed with hypertrophic cardiomyop- athy—a thickening of the heart that can trigger cardiac arrest during strenuous activity—prior to the 2008 NHL Draft—where he was selected in the 7th round by the Tampa Bay Lightning. Ever since, Carle has been making an impact behind the bench instead of on the ice. He quickly transitioned to a role as a student assistant coach, a position he held for four years. After graduation he briefly joined the coaching staff of the Green Bay Gamblers of the USHL, before returning to the Colorado capital where he's been since 2014. It's a role he's learned to love, while flour- ishing and developing his coaching chops, with the opportunity to work under two quality coaches in George Gwozdecky and Montgomery before taking the reins this season. Their tutelage, he credits, has led to a smooth transition. "I worked for two great mentors here in George and Jim and saw a lot of what gave them success," Carle said. "Both were very open and honest about their roles while they were here and what they did to be successful. "I had a great opportunity to learn from them and see what the job entailed. Having gone to school here helps. If you're taking over a program that you haven't been at I'm sure there are some surprises, but there hav- en't been a lot with this." And it's showed. Denver is off to a strong start, currently ranked in the top 10 in the USA Hockey Magazine/USA Today Poll with a 14-4-3 record (as of Feb. 5), and is set to make some noise in the NCAA Tournament . Staked with a young and talented squad, Carle credited his troops for the team's suc- cess, especially the leadership group that has been tasked with grooming a total of 19 underclassmen. However, his players are quick to throw the praise back on their first-year head coach. "Over the course of my whole four years here, he's been great at being able to pick out certain things I need to work on," said DU's senior captain Colin Staub. "He's really intel- ligent in that way, being able to pick out what a player's strengths and weaknesses are and being able to coach them in those areas. Now that he's at the head, he's definitely been able to see a lot more and I've been able to get a lot more advice from him. It's been great." While his age stands out along with his fiery red hair, Carle doesn't believe his youth- A True " Pioneer David Carle Relishing His First Season As Head Coach By Jeff Carpenter 30 // MARCH 2019 USAHOCKEYMAGAZINE.COM I don't think age has much to do with anything. I think it all comes down to your life experiences and the type of person that you are."