Jeff Heimel, head coach of the University of Providence hockey team, announced his formal resignation on Monday, effective June 30, according to a release from the university.

“After a lot of thought and prayer, I’ve decided to step away from coaching for the time being,” Heimel said in a release. “It’s the right decision for me and my family. I want to thank Dave Gantt and Doug Hashley for a willingness to believe that a hockey program could be successful here. They’ve given the program a lot of support over the years. I’m looking forward to staying a part of the Great Falls community.”

Gannt announced his resignation earlier this year, also effective in June, as vice president of athletics at UP.

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Heimel, who has been the head coach since the team’s inception in the 2018-19 season, has a record of 54-37-3 as the Argos head coach. Heimel led the Argos to three ACHA Division II National Championship appearances and a Mountain West Collegiate Hockey League Championship title during his four-year tenure.

“It’s been a really special time,” Heimel said in a release. “From the beginning it was always a great fit. This community is a really special community. To play a part in growing hockey in Great Falls was a special experience.”

Heimel joined the University of Providence hockey program after spending the past six years as the head coach of the Great Falls Americans. Prior to the Americans, he spent a year coaching the Cheyenne Stampede and Phoenix Polar Bear. Over the eight years he coached in the junior hockey ranks, he recorded a lifetime record of 255-119-25.

Heimel used the relationships he had made with players in the junior hockey ranks as he began to recruit for the Argos. Several players who have played for the Argos during Heimel’s tenure also played under him with the Americans.

“We started something and we hoped it was going to go well,” Heimel said in a release. “Then we got this group of guys that made the experience that much better. It’s been a pleasure coaching them. They earned so much of what we accomplished. To do what we did was special. It was a group effort. There’s so much that goes into that that I’m proud of. It was a pleasure to be a part of it. There’s so much there that they should be proud of. I am certainly thrilled to have been a part of that ride. It was a really special time for me.”