University of Minnesota Athletics
Women's Basketball
Plitzuweit, Dawn
Dawn Plitzuweit
- Title:
- Head Coach
The 2025-26 season will be the third season for Dawn Plitzuweit at the helm of the Golden Gophers women’s basketball program. Plitzuweit was named the 13th women’s basketball coach in Minnesota’s history on March 18, 2023.
Plitzuweit (PLITTS-zoo-white) holds a career coaching record of 410-168 (.709) in 18 seasons as a head coach, including a 293-130 (.693) mark at the Division I level. She's totaled 17 winning seasons, two 30-win campaigns and 11 20-win seasons.
Minnesota went 25-11 in Plitzuweit’s second year, highlighted by winning the 2025 WBIT (Women’s Basketball Invitation Tournament) Championship, marking the 17th time in 18 seasons Plitzuweit has reached a postseason tournament. The Golden Gophers recorded their first 25 win season since 2004-05 (26-8, 12-4 B1G) and back-to-back 20 win seasons since 2017-18 and 2018-19. Plitzuweit also coached two Gophers to All-Big Ten Honorable Mention accolades in Amaya Battle and Grace Grocholski.
In Plitzuweit's first season, the Gophers won 20 games, finishing with an overall record of 20-16. The squad reached the WNIT Championship game and finished as the runner-up. In 2023-24, Plitzuweit coached a pair of All-Big Ten Honorable Mention guards in Mara Braun and Amaya Battle while also helping Grace Grocholski to a unanimous Big Ten All-Freshman Team selection.
Plitzuweit joined the Maroon and Gold after serving as the head coach at West Virginia University for the 2022-23 season where she led the Mountaineers to an NCAA Tournament berth.
Before her season in Morgantown Plitzuweit also served as the head coach at South Dakota from 2016-22. During her six seasons in Vermillion, South Dakota, she amassed a 158-36 record, including an 83-10 mark in the Summit League. The three-time Summit League Coach of the Year, Plitzuweit led the Coyotes to three regular-season championships, three conference tournament championships, four NCAA Tournament appearances and a berth in the 2022 NCAA Sweet 16 during her tenure at USD.
Prior to South Dakota and West Virginia Plitzuweit also was the head coach at Northern Kentucky (2012-16) and Grand Valley State (2002-07). She also was an assistant coach at Michigan (2007-12), Green Bay (1998-02), Wisconsin (1997-98) and her alma mater Michigan Tech (1995-97). She holds the Summit League record for overall winning percentage (.814) and conference winning percentage (.892).
Plitzuweit's honors over her coaching career include the 2021-22 Kay Yow Award, presented annually to the Division I women’s head college basketball coach who embodies a winning spirit while displaying great character, on and off the court. She was the Summit League Coach of the Year three straight years (2017-18, 2018-19, 2019-20). She also was the 2005-06 NCAA Division II National Coach of the Year at Grand Valley State University.
Statistically, Plitzuweit’s teams in six of the past seven seasons have ranked in the top 20 nationally in turnover margin, including this 2024-25 season at a margin of 4.5, which was the No. 1 mark in the Big Ten and ninth-best margin in the country.
A 1995 graduate of Michigan Tech, Plitzuweit earned back-to-back GLIAC Player of the Year awards, four all-conference honors and three all-defensive team nods. She led the Huskies to a 99-22 record and four trips to the NCAA Division II Tournament. She was a Division II Bulletin All-America Second Team selection and a two-time Kodak All-America honorable mention pick (1994, 1995). She earned WBCA All-Academic accolades in 1994 and 1995 and was named Michigan’s NCAA Woman of the Year in 1995.
Plitzuweit (PLITTS-zoo-white) holds a career coaching record of 410-168 (.709) in 18 seasons as a head coach, including a 293-130 (.693) mark at the Division I level. She's totaled 17 winning seasons, two 30-win campaigns and 11 20-win seasons.
Minnesota went 25-11 in Plitzuweit’s second year, highlighted by winning the 2025 WBIT (Women’s Basketball Invitation Tournament) Championship, marking the 17th time in 18 seasons Plitzuweit has reached a postseason tournament. The Golden Gophers recorded their first 25 win season since 2004-05 (26-8, 12-4 B1G) and back-to-back 20 win seasons since 2017-18 and 2018-19. Plitzuweit also coached two Gophers to All-Big Ten Honorable Mention accolades in Amaya Battle and Grace Grocholski.
In Plitzuweit's first season, the Gophers won 20 games, finishing with an overall record of 20-16. The squad reached the WNIT Championship game and finished as the runner-up. In 2023-24, Plitzuweit coached a pair of All-Big Ten Honorable Mention guards in Mara Braun and Amaya Battle while also helping Grace Grocholski to a unanimous Big Ten All-Freshman Team selection.
Plitzuweit joined the Maroon and Gold after serving as the head coach at West Virginia University for the 2022-23 season where she led the Mountaineers to an NCAA Tournament berth.
Before her season in Morgantown Plitzuweit also served as the head coach at South Dakota from 2016-22. During her six seasons in Vermillion, South Dakota, she amassed a 158-36 record, including an 83-10 mark in the Summit League. The three-time Summit League Coach of the Year, Plitzuweit led the Coyotes to three regular-season championships, three conference tournament championships, four NCAA Tournament appearances and a berth in the 2022 NCAA Sweet 16 during her tenure at USD.
Prior to South Dakota and West Virginia Plitzuweit also was the head coach at Northern Kentucky (2012-16) and Grand Valley State (2002-07). She also was an assistant coach at Michigan (2007-12), Green Bay (1998-02), Wisconsin (1997-98) and her alma mater Michigan Tech (1995-97). She holds the Summit League record for overall winning percentage (.814) and conference winning percentage (.892).
Plitzuweit's honors over her coaching career include the 2021-22 Kay Yow Award, presented annually to the Division I women’s head college basketball coach who embodies a winning spirit while displaying great character, on and off the court. She was the Summit League Coach of the Year three straight years (2017-18, 2018-19, 2019-20). She also was the 2005-06 NCAA Division II National Coach of the Year at Grand Valley State University.
Statistically, Plitzuweit’s teams in six of the past seven seasons have ranked in the top 20 nationally in turnover margin, including this 2024-25 season at a margin of 4.5, which was the No. 1 mark in the Big Ten and ninth-best margin in the country.
A 1995 graduate of Michigan Tech, Plitzuweit earned back-to-back GLIAC Player of the Year awards, four all-conference honors and three all-defensive team nods. She led the Huskies to a 99-22 record and four trips to the NCAA Division II Tournament. She was a Division II Bulletin All-America Second Team selection and a two-time Kodak All-America honorable mention pick (1994, 1995). She earned WBCA All-Academic accolades in 1994 and 1995 and was named Michigan’s NCAA Woman of the Year in 1995.
| Plitzuweit's Career Record | |||||||
| Year | School | Record | Conference Record | Conference Finish | Postseason | ||
| 2002-03 | Grand Valley State | 24-7 | 13-5 | 2nd | NCAA Div. II First Round | ||
| 2003-04 | Grand Valley State | 11-15 | 8-10 | T5th | |||
| 2004-05 | Grand Valley State | 28-6 | 16-2 | T1st | NCAA Div. II Quarterfinals | ||
| 2005-06 | Grand Valley State | 33-3 | 15-1 | 1st | NCAA Div. II Champions | ||
| 2006-07 | Grand Valley State | 21-8 | 14-4 | 1st | NCAA Div. II First Round | ||
| Grand Valley State Totals | 117-39 (.750) | 66-22 (.750) | |||||
| 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 | T5th | WBI First Round | ||
| Northern Kentucky Totals | 71-54 (.568) | 42-26 (.618) | |||||
| 2016-17 | South Dakota | 23-9 | 11-5 | 4th | WNIT Second Round | ||
| 2017-18 |
|
29-7 | 14-0 | 1st | WNIT Quarterfinals | ||
| 2018-19 |
|
28-6 | 14-2 | 2nd | NCAA First Round | ||
| 2019-20 |
|
30-2 | 15-0 | 1st | Cancelled | ||
| 2020-21 |
|
19-6 | 12-2 | 2nd | NCAA First Round | ||
| 2021-22 |
|
29-6 | 17-1 | 1st | NCAA Sweet 16 | ||
| South Dakota Totals | 158-36 (.814) | 83-10 (.892) | |||||
| 2022-23 | West Virginia | 19-12 | 10-8 | T4th | NCAA First Round | ||
| West Virginia Totals | 19-12 (.613) | 10-8 (.556) | |||||
| 2023-24 | Minnesota | 20-16 | 5-13 | 11th | WNIT Runner-Up | ||
| 2024-25 | Minnesota | 25-11 | 8-10 | 13th | WBIT Champion | ||
| Minnesota Totals | 45-27 (.625) | 13-23 (.361) | |||||
| Career Totals | 410-168 (.709) | 214-89 (.706) | |||||
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