Dawn Plitzuweit

American basketball coach (born 1972)
Dawn Plitzuweit
Plitzuweit in 2023
Current position
TitleHead Coach
TeamMinnesota
ConferenceBig Ten
Record20–16 (.556)
Biographical details
Born (1972-10-31) October 31, 1972 (age 51)
West Bend, Wisconsin
Playing career
1990–1995Michigan Tech
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1995–1998Michigan Tech (assistant)
1998–2002Green Bay (assistant)
2002–2007Grand Valley State
2007–2012Michigan (assistant)
2012–2016Northern Kentucky
2016–2022South Dakota
2022–2023West Virginia
2023–presentMinnesota
Head coaching record
Overall385–156 (.712)
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
  • NCAA Division II Tournament (2006)
  • 3× Summit League regular season (2017–18, 2019–20, 2021–2022)
  • 3× Summit League conference tournament championship (2020, 2021, 2022)
Awards
As player:
  • GLIAC Player of the Year
  • 2× WBCA All-Academic (1994, 1995)
  • Michigan NCAA Woman of the Year Award (1995)
  • GLIAC Freshman of the Year (1991)

As coach:

  • Kay Yow Award (2022)
  • 3× Summit League Coach of the Year (2018, 2019, 2020)[1]

Dawn Plitzuweit (PLITTS-zoo-white born October 31, 1972) is an American basketball coach, currently the head women's basketball coach at the University of Minnesota.

Playing career

Plitzuweit attended Michigan Tech between 1990–1995, but did not play basketball 1991–1992. In her freshman year she started all 29 games. Her sophomore year, 1992–1993, played in all 33 games leading Michigan Tech to a record of 30–3 scoring 12.4 points a game, 2nd on the team. Her Junior year she, once again, played in all 28 games. Her senior year she played in 29 of the 30 games that year and would finish her career with a playing record of 99–22.

Michigan Tech statistics

Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field goal percentage  3P%  3-point field goal percentage  FT%  Free throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  Bold  Career high
Year Team GP Points FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
1990–1991 Michigan Tech 29 268 .519 .000 .727 7.1 4.0 2.9 0.0 9.2
1992–1993 Michigan Tech 33 408 .529 .500 .683 7.0 3.2 2.6 0.02 12.4
1993–1994 Michigan Tech 28 340 .474 .130 .674 8.8 4.0 3.3 0.1 12.1
1994–1995 Michigan Tech 30 382 .523 .371 .678 6.1 3.5 2.2 0.1 12.7
Career 120 1,398 .511 .--- .690 6.0 3.7 2.8 0.1 11.6

Source:[2][3][4][5]

Coaching career

Early coaching career

Plitzuweit started her career at her Alma mater, Michigan Tech, under her collegiate coach Kevin Borseth, and would continue to coach with him at Green Bay and then Michigan.[6]

Grand Valley State

Over her career five year career at Grand Valley State, Plitzuweit reached the NCAA Division II Tournament four of the five years. In 2006, Grand Valley State, with a record of 33–3, won the 2006 NCAA Division II Tournament over American International College 58–52.

Northern Kentucky

Left Michigan at the end of the 2012 season and accepted the head coaching job at Northern Kentucky.[7] Northern Kentucky would go on to reach the WBI in all four years making it to the second round only once.

South Dakota

On April 22, 2016, Plitzuweit became the South Dakota head coach. During her tenure, she led the team to an 158–36 overall record, tallying an 83–10 mark in conference play. Coach Plitzuweit led the Coyotes to three Summit League regular season titles, three consecutive Summit League Tournament Championships, and four straight NCAA tournament appearances including a trip to the Sweet 16 in 2022. Plitzuweit was selected as Summit League coach of the year 3 times in her tenure with the Coyotes. At the conclusion of her final season with the Coyotes, Plitzuweit was named the Kay Yow National Coach of the Year.

West Virginia

On March 31, 2022, Plitzuweit was hired as the head women's basketball coach at West Virginia University.

Minnesota

On March 18, 2023, Plitzuweit was hired as the head women's basketball coach at the University of Minnesota, on a six-year contract.[8]

Personal life

Dawn is married and has a son and daughter.

Coaching Record

Statistics overview
Season Team Overall Conference Standing Postseason
Grand Valley State (Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference) (2002–2007)
2002–03 Grand Valley State 24–7 13–5 2nd NCAA Div. II First Round
2003–04 Grand Valley State 11–15 8–10 T-5th
2004–05 Grand Valley State 28–6 16–2 T-1st NCAA Div. II Quarterfinals
2005–06 Grand Valley State 33–3 15–1 1st NCAA Div. II Champion
2006–07 Grand Valley State 21–8 14–4 1st NCAA Div. II First Round
Grand Valley State: 117–39 (.750) 66–22 (.750)
Northern Kentucky Norse (Atlantic Sun Conference/Horizon League) (2012–2016)
2012–13 Northern Kentucky 15–13 12–6 4th WBI First Round
2013–14 Northern Kentucky 18–13 13–5 3rd WBI Second Round
2014–15 Northern Kentucky 19–14 8–6 3rd WBI First Round
2015–16 Northern Kentucky 19–14 9–9 T-5th WBI First Round
Northern Kentucky: 71–54 (.568) 42–26 (.618)
South Dakota Coyotes (Summit League) (2016–2022)
2016–17 South Dakota 23–9 11–5 4th WNIT Second Round
2017–18 South Dakota 29–7 14–0 1st WNIT Quarterfinals
2018–19 South Dakota 28–6 14–2 2nd NCAA First Round
2019–20 South Dakota 30–2 15–0 1st Postseason not held
2020–21 South Dakota 19–5 12–2 2nd NCAA First Round
2021–22 South Dakota 29–6 17–1 T-1st[9] NCAA Sweet Sixteen
South Dakota: 158–35 (.819) 83–10 (.892)
West Virginia Mountaineers (Big 12 Conference) (2022–2023)
2022–23 West Virginia 19–12 10–8 T-4th NCAA First Round
West Virginia: 19–12 (.613) 10–8 (.556)
Minnesota Golden Gophers (Big Ten Conference) (2023–present)
2023–24 Minnesota 20–16 5–13 T–11th WNIT Runner–up
Minnesota: 20–16 (.556) 5–13 (.278)
Total: 385–156 (.712)

      National champion         Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion         Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion       Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

References

  1. ^ https://www.thesummitleague.org/RecordBook/WomensBasketball.pdf [bare URL PDF]
  2. ^ "Michigan Tech Athletics" (PDF).
  3. ^ "Michigan Tech Athletics" (PDF).
  4. ^ "Michigan Tech Athletics" (PDF).
  5. ^ "Michigan Tech Athletics" (PDF).
  6. ^ "Dawn Plitzuweit – Women's Basketball Coach".
  7. ^ "Dawn of a new era: Plitzuweit selected as NKU women's basketball head coach".
  8. ^ Campbell, Dave (March 18, 2023). "Minnesota hires West Virginia's Plitzuweit to replace Whalen". The Eagles-Tribune. Retrieved March 18, 2023.
  9. ^ "FIGHT SOUTH DAKOTA! COYOTES WIN SUMMIT LEAGUE REGULAR SEASON TITLE". goyotes.com. 28 February 2022. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
  • v
  • t
  • e
West Virginia Mountaineers women's basketball head coaches
  • Kittie Blakemore (1973–1992)
  • Scott Harrelson (1992–1995)
  • Susan Walvius (1995–1997)
  • Alexis Basil (1997–2001)
  • Mike Carey (2001–2022)
  • Dawn Plitzuweit (2022–2023)
  • Mark Kellogg (2023– )
  • v
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Minnesota Golden Gophers women's basketball head coaches