University of Minnesota Duluth hockey coach Shannon Miller -- already one of women's international ice hockey's pioneers -- will trail-blaze in another realm as part of the IIHF' newly minted Mentorship Program.

Miller has been named the coaching mentor for the Russian Senior National Team in preparation for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. The brand new program will begin on July 1, 2011, and will mark the start of the most comprehensive IIHF women's hockey development initiative to date.

Mentors and ambassadors from the top four countries (the US, Canada, Sweden and Finland) will assist women's programs in nine other countries during two and a half years. During the program term (from July 1, 2011 till the end of January 2014), there will be an expectation of communication every 2-3 weeks between the coach mentors and ambassadors and the coaches of both the senior and under-18 national programs.

"I am honored to have been asked to mentor the Russian National Team coaches as they prepare for the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, Russia," said Miller this week. "This is an international mentorship program where many high level coaches and athletes will be involved in growing the game globally. As a former Olympic coach, I am pleased to be working with the host team for next Olympic Games."

Besides preparing to lead the Bulldogs for what will be her 13th season at UMD in 2011-12, Miller has her plate full as the Chair of the Ethics Committee for US women's college hockey, as well as membership on the NCAA Division 1 Championships Committee, one of only two coaches in the entire country on the committee. Miller and the UMD will also be hosting not only the 2012 NCAA Frozen Four Championship, at AMSOIL Arena, but also the 2011 WCHA's Final Face-Off.