University of Denver hockey coach Jim Montgomery has withdrawn from the Florida Panthers‘ coaching vacancy and will continue to focus on leading the Pioneers to back-to-back NCAA championships, the coach told The Denver Post on Friday.

“My family and I are very happy here,” Montgomery said in a text message Friday.

Montgomery, who guided DU to its eighth national title April 10 in his fourth season as coach, had two interviews with Florida and also spoke to the Los Angeles Kings before they hired John Stevens. Montgomery’s second interview with the Panthers was Tuesday. In the end, he decided to remain with the Pioneers, who have extended or sweetened his contract twice since last summer — including raises to his entire support staff.

Montgomery, 47, captained Maine to the 1993 NCAA championship and had a 12-year professional playing career, including 122 NHL games with the Blues, Canadiens, Flyers, Sharks and Stars. He has said he prefers the college climate over the NHL when it comes to relationships.

Montgomery is 102-47-18 at DU, advancing further in the NCAA Tournament each year. His first team in 2013-14 — depleted from early departures and recruits who went elsewhere because of the April 1, 2013 firing of longtime coach George Gwozdecky — made a late-season run in winning the inaugural National Collegiate Hockey Conference playoff championship and then made the national tournament. His second team advanced to the NCAA quarterfinals. And the 2015-16 team lost to eventual champion North Dakota at the Frozen Four semifinals in Tampa, Fla.

Denver went 33-7-4 last season, the country’s best record and the best at DU since 2005.

Jim Montgomery, by the numbers

At Denver:

2016‑17 ……..33-7-4 Won NCAA championship

2015‑16 ……..25-10-6 Lost Frozen Four semifinals

2014‑15 ……..24-14-2 Lost NCAA quarterfinals

2013‑14 ……..20-16-6 Lost NCAA first round

Before Denver:

2012-13 Dubuque, USHL 45-11-8 Won championship

2011-12 Dubuque, USHL 36-20-4 Lost Round 2 playoffs

2010-11 Dubuque, USHL 37-14-9 Won championship