University of Minnesota Athletics
Men's Track & Field
Plasencia, Steve
Steve Plasencia
- Title:
- Director of Men's Track & Field/Cross Country
- Email:
- plase001@umn.edu
- Phone:
- 612-625-6063 / 624-0592
A 1979 University of Minnesota graduate and an All-American runner for the Maroon & Gold, Steve Plasencia begins his 25th season with the Golden Gophers in 2020-21. He has served as head coach of the men’s cross country team since 1996 and is an assistant coach for the Minnesota track & field program. Plasencia previously served as Director of Men's Cross Country and Track & Field for 10 years before the men's and women's programs merged in 2018.
The Gopher men's cross country program has flourished under Plasencia's direction. The past 24 years have seen Minnesota make 15 team appearances at the NCAA Cross Country Championships, highlighted by the 2007 squad celebrating an eighth-place finish, which marked the Gophers’ third highest NCAA showing in school history. Overall, the Gophers have recorded eight top-20 NCAA team finishes and collected 12 All-America nods during the Plasencia era.
With Plasencia at the helm, the Maroon & Gold has seen success at the NCAA regional level as well. Since 1996, the Gophers have recorded 12 top-three finishes at the NCAA Midwest Regional, including finishing as Midwest Region team champions in 1999, 2001, and 2004. Minnesota outscored its nearest competitor by 31 points and landed a school-record five runners on the all-region team on the way to the 2004 title. In 2001, the Gophers won the NCAA Midwest Regional Championships, while in 1999 the competition was titled the NCAA District V Championships. Plasencia was honored as the Region Coach of the Year after all three titles in 1999, 2001 and 2004. Minnesota has earned 62 all-region awards and had three individuals win five region titles under Plasencia’s direction in Andrew Carlson (2002, 2004), Antonio Vega (2005), and Hassan Mead (2008, 2009).
Competing in one of the nation's toughest cross country conferences, the Gophers have annually finished among the upper echelon of the Big Ten Conference. Plasencia has coached the Gophers to 17 top-five team finishes in the Big Ten, and the Maroon & Gold have earned three individual B1G crowns under Plasencia in Chris Rombough (2006) and Hassan Mead (2008, 2009). Plasencia’s Gophers have earned 39 All-Big Ten cross country awards as well.
After leading the Gopher men’s cross country program for 12 years, Plasencia was elevated to the position of Minnesota’s head coach for the men’s cross country and track & field program in July 2008. His first season as head track & field coach turned out to be one of the finest in school history as the Gophers won both the 2009 Big Ten Conference indoor and outdoor team titles. Plasencia was honored as the Big Ten Coach of the Year for both the indoor and outdoor seasons. The Gophers and Plasencia repeated the sweep in 2010 and picked up a third-straight B1G indoor team title in 2011. Plasencia’s Gophers were also undefeated in dual meets from 2014-2018. Prior to being named the men’s track & field head coach, Plasencia served as an assistant track coach since joining the Minnesota staff in 1996. He served as Director of Men's Cross Country and Track & Field for 10 years before the Gopher men's and women's programs merged in 2018.
Before becoming the eighth head coach in Minnesota cross country history and succeeding legendary Gopher coach Roy Griak, Plasencia gained coaching experience working with world-class athletes. In addition to coaching himself to two Olympic Games, Plasencia advised training partners in 1984 Olympian Don Clary and Mike Bilyeu, who finished sixth in the 5,000 meters at the 1992 Olympic Trials, on their training.
Plasencia was able to successfully mesh his expertise as a coach with a notable running career of his own. He ran competitively from 1972 to 2001, and he remains one of Minnesota's most decorated runners. Plasencia was a three-time cross country and two-time track & field All-American in the late 1970s. He served as the Gophers’ team captain in 1977 and won the Fred O. Watson Award for the most valuable Golden Gopher cross country runner in 1976, 1977, and 1978.
Plasencia still holds the Minnesota cross country 10-kilometer record for the Gophers’ home course at Les Bolstad Golf Course at 30:32.80, which he ran at the 1978 Region 4 Championships. Plasencia was inducted into Minnesota's "M" Club Hall of Fame in 1994 as well.
Plasencia's running career extended well beyond his days competing for the Maroon & Gold. He went on to represent the United States in the 10,000 meters at both the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul, South Korea, and the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona, Spain. He was the 1990 U.S. 10,000-meter champion. Plasencia fell just short of his third-straight trip to Olympic Games as he finished fourth in the 1996 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials and placed fifth in the 5,000 meters at the 1996 U.S. Track & Field Olympic Trials.
In addition to his Olympic experiences, Plasencia represented the U.S. in four World Championships. His top finishes were an eighth-place showing in the 10,000 meters in 1987 and a 10th-place finish in the marathon in 1995. He was inducted into the Minnesota Track and Field Hall of Fame in the fall of 1996.
Plasencia earned his bachelor's degree in business from Minnesota in 1979. He later earned a master's degree from Oregon in 1987. Prior to joining the Golden Gopher staff, he served as the director of sports respiratory medicine for Allergy and Asthma Associates in Eugene, Ore. He also worked as a cardiac rehabilitation therapist at Eugene's Sacred Heart Hospital.
Plasencia and his wife Theresa reside in Shoreview, Minn. They have two sons, Ryan and Alex. Alex joined the Gophers as a freshman in 2016.
The Gopher men's cross country program has flourished under Plasencia's direction. The past 24 years have seen Minnesota make 15 team appearances at the NCAA Cross Country Championships, highlighted by the 2007 squad celebrating an eighth-place finish, which marked the Gophers’ third highest NCAA showing in school history. Overall, the Gophers have recorded eight top-20 NCAA team finishes and collected 12 All-America nods during the Plasencia era.
With Plasencia at the helm, the Maroon & Gold has seen success at the NCAA regional level as well. Since 1996, the Gophers have recorded 12 top-three finishes at the NCAA Midwest Regional, including finishing as Midwest Region team champions in 1999, 2001, and 2004. Minnesota outscored its nearest competitor by 31 points and landed a school-record five runners on the all-region team on the way to the 2004 title. In 2001, the Gophers won the NCAA Midwest Regional Championships, while in 1999 the competition was titled the NCAA District V Championships. Plasencia was honored as the Region Coach of the Year after all three titles in 1999, 2001 and 2004. Minnesota has earned 62 all-region awards and had three individuals win five region titles under Plasencia’s direction in Andrew Carlson (2002, 2004), Antonio Vega (2005), and Hassan Mead (2008, 2009).
Competing in one of the nation's toughest cross country conferences, the Gophers have annually finished among the upper echelon of the Big Ten Conference. Plasencia has coached the Gophers to 17 top-five team finishes in the Big Ten, and the Maroon & Gold have earned three individual B1G crowns under Plasencia in Chris Rombough (2006) and Hassan Mead (2008, 2009). Plasencia’s Gophers have earned 39 All-Big Ten cross country awards as well.
After leading the Gopher men’s cross country program for 12 years, Plasencia was elevated to the position of Minnesota’s head coach for the men’s cross country and track & field program in July 2008. His first season as head track & field coach turned out to be one of the finest in school history as the Gophers won both the 2009 Big Ten Conference indoor and outdoor team titles. Plasencia was honored as the Big Ten Coach of the Year for both the indoor and outdoor seasons. The Gophers and Plasencia repeated the sweep in 2010 and picked up a third-straight B1G indoor team title in 2011. Plasencia’s Gophers were also undefeated in dual meets from 2014-2018. Prior to being named the men’s track & field head coach, Plasencia served as an assistant track coach since joining the Minnesota staff in 1996. He served as Director of Men's Cross Country and Track & Field for 10 years before the Gopher men's and women's programs merged in 2018.
Before becoming the eighth head coach in Minnesota cross country history and succeeding legendary Gopher coach Roy Griak, Plasencia gained coaching experience working with world-class athletes. In addition to coaching himself to two Olympic Games, Plasencia advised training partners in 1984 Olympian Don Clary and Mike Bilyeu, who finished sixth in the 5,000 meters at the 1992 Olympic Trials, on their training.
Plasencia was able to successfully mesh his expertise as a coach with a notable running career of his own. He ran competitively from 1972 to 2001, and he remains one of Minnesota's most decorated runners. Plasencia was a three-time cross country and two-time track & field All-American in the late 1970s. He served as the Gophers’ team captain in 1977 and won the Fred O. Watson Award for the most valuable Golden Gopher cross country runner in 1976, 1977, and 1978.
Plasencia still holds the Minnesota cross country 10-kilometer record for the Gophers’ home course at Les Bolstad Golf Course at 30:32.80, which he ran at the 1978 Region 4 Championships. Plasencia was inducted into Minnesota's "M" Club Hall of Fame in 1994 as well.
Plasencia's running career extended well beyond his days competing for the Maroon & Gold. He went on to represent the United States in the 10,000 meters at both the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul, South Korea, and the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona, Spain. He was the 1990 U.S. 10,000-meter champion. Plasencia fell just short of his third-straight trip to Olympic Games as he finished fourth in the 1996 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials and placed fifth in the 5,000 meters at the 1996 U.S. Track & Field Olympic Trials.
In addition to his Olympic experiences, Plasencia represented the U.S. in four World Championships. His top finishes were an eighth-place showing in the 10,000 meters in 1987 and a 10th-place finish in the marathon in 1995. He was inducted into the Minnesota Track and Field Hall of Fame in the fall of 1996.
Plasencia earned his bachelor's degree in business from Minnesota in 1979. He later earned a master's degree from Oregon in 1987. Prior to joining the Golden Gopher staff, he served as the director of sports respiratory medicine for Allergy and Asthma Associates in Eugene, Ore. He also worked as a cardiac rehabilitation therapist at Eugene's Sacred Heart Hospital.
Plasencia and his wife Theresa reside in Shoreview, Minn. They have two sons, Ryan and Alex. Alex joined the Gophers as a freshman in 2016.
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