THIS MATTERS
GREAT MOMENTUM Career Record 346–129 (.728) Career NCAA Division I Record 229–91 (.716) National Championships 2005–06 Division II National Coach of the Year 2005–06 Division II
WHO’S THIS
Dawn of a New Era A 2022 national coach of the year enters her first year with the WVU women’s basketball team.
NCAA Tournament Berths Eight, the first in 2002–03 and most recently in 2021–22
arguably the best season yet of her career, Plitzuweit became a Morgantown resident, wearing the Old Gold & Blue. “West Virginia women’s basketball is a job that is known nationally,” she says. “Seeing the commitment of the athletic department and the fan base made it seem like a tremendous opportunity.” Playing college ball at Michigan Tech in the ’90s, Plitzuweit was an immediate stand- out, starting all 29 games as a freshman during the 1990–91 season. She has shone as a coach, too. In her six seasons at South Dakota, she amassed a 158–36 record,
including an 83–10 mark in the Summit League; she was Summit League Coach of the Year three times. Plitzuweit’s career record of 346–129 (.728) encompasses four winning seasons and nine 20-win seasons—including two 30-win campaigns. She has reached the post-season in 14 of her 15 seasons as a head coach. And in 2022, she was named Kay Yow National Coach of the Year, a recognition of great character both on- and off-court. “Dawn is a proven winner everywhere she has been, and her track record for sustained success is impressive,” said Lyons on announcing the hire.
➼ IN JUST A FEW SHORT WEEKS last spring, women’s basketball coach Dawn Plitzuweit moved mountains—on the hardwood and in her life. On March 20, she led the South Dakota Coyotes to a stunning win over No. 2–seeded Baylor to advance to the first NCAA Sweet 16 in program history. And less than a week later, on March 31, West Virginia University Director of Athletics Shane Lyons tapped Plitzuweit to replace longtime Coach Mike Carey and become the sixth women’s basketball coach in the school’s history. By April 4, just two weeks after coaching
12 MORGANTOWN WINTER 2022
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