After a report said that Rand Pecknold, Quinnipiac’s men’s ice hockey head coach for 18 years, will become the new head coach at the University of Massachusetts, another source said that Pecknold turned down the offer and will be staying in Hamden.

Neither report has been confirmed by either Quinnipiac or UMass officials.

According to USCHO.com, Pecknold was offered “a lengthy contract with good financial incentives by Massachusetts,” but turned it down after Quinnipiac made a counteroffer, according to the source.

Pecknold, who signed a contract extension through the 2015-16 season last summer, has a total record of 337-230-61.

[media-credit id=1459 align=”alignright” width=”300″][/media-credit]”I’m very excited with my new contract extension. I look forward to another five years at Quinnipiac, and hopefully beyond,” Pecknold said in a press release last August after announcing his contract extension.

UMass is seeking to replace Don Cahoon, who stepped down as the UMass head coach after 12 seasons on June 19. Cahoon posted a record of 166-225-42 at UMass, who plays in the Hockey East Conference.

Pecknold coached Quinnipiac since the 1994-95 season and led the program to the national tournament in 2003, when the team won the MAAC. He currently ranks as the ninth-winningest active Division I college coaches with 337 career wins and in the last 16 years, the program has not had a losing season.

He guided the team through many changes, from Division II to Division I, Braves to Bobcats and MAAC to ECAC Hockey. Under Pecknold, Quinnipiac ranked in the top 10 in wins and winning percentage since the program moved up to the Division I level in the 1998-99 season.

Quinnipiac has won at least one postseason series each year since joining ECAC Hockey in the 2005-06 season. Pecknold won at least 20 games in a season in six of the past eight years.