Dawn Plitzuweit is entering her third season as the head coach of the Northern Kentucky University women’s basketball team. While at NKU, Plitzuweit has compiled a 33-26 overall record, and she boasts a 150-65 career record in seven years as a head coach.
Plitzuweit guided the Norse to an impressive 18-13 record on the year and a 13-5 mark in the Atlantic Sun Conference last season, marking NKU's 31st consecutive winning season. On Feb. 1, 2014, the Norse used a 63-43 victory over Florida Gulf Coast to hand the Eagles their first regular-season Atlantic Sun loss since the 2010-11 season. NKU earned its second straight berth to the Women's Basketball Invitational (WBI), and the Norse captured the program's first postseason victory, a 84-72 win over McNeese State at The Bank of Kentucky Center, since the Norse started the NCAA Division I transition during the 2012-13 academic year.
Two seasons ago, she led the Norse to a 15-13 overall record for NKU’s 30th consecutive winning season and a 12-6 mark in the Atlantic Sun in NKU’s first season at the NCAA Division I level. She also helped the Norse earn a berth to the WBI at the end of the season.
Plitzuweit, who spent the previous five years as the associate head coach at the University of Michigan, replaced longtime NKU head coach Nancy Winstel on May 10, 2012.
“I am extremely thrilled and honored to be named the fourth coach in the rich history of Northern Kentucky women’s basketball,” Plitzuweit said. “I would also like to thank coach Nancy Winstel for all of her dedication in building this championship-caliber program at NKU. I am eager to get started and am looking forward to building relationships with the current players, our incoming freshmen, the coaches in the area, our future recruits, our alumni, the fans, and the entire NKU community.”
Plitzuweit helped Michigan post a 20-12 record and advance to the NCAA Tournament in 2011-12. The Wolverines also defeated Illinois in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament last season.
Prior to Michigan, Plitzuweit spent five years as the head coach at Grand Valley State University. Under her direction, the Lakers earned four postseason berths and won the NCAA Division II national championship in 2005-06. Plitzuweit compiled a 117-39 (.750) record at Grand Valley State, including a 68-22 (.756) mark in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.
During the 2006 Great Lakes Regional semifinals at Springfield, Mo., Plitzuweit guided Grand Valley State to a 91-70 win over NKU. The following season, Plitzuweit’s team participated in NKU’s Travel America Classic and coasted to a 74-58 victory over the host Norse in Regents Hall.
In 2002-03, NKU and Grand Valley State met twice. The Lakers won the regular-season encounter, 63-62, at Findlay, Ohio, in Plitzuweit’s first game as head coach at Grand Valley State. NKU took the rematch in the NCAA Division II Great Lakes Regional with a 69-63 triumph at Indianapolis.
Plitzuweit was named the Women’s College Coach of the Year by the Basketball Coaches Association of Michigan in 2006, as well as the Molten/Women’s Division II Bulletin Coach of the Year. GVSU senior forward Niki Reams garnered her second consecutive GLIAC Player of the Year award, the first player to do so since Plitzuweit herself accomplished the feat in 1994 and ‘95 for Michigan Tech.
“Dawn has been successful everywhere she has coached,” said then-NKU president Dr. James Votruba. “Nancy Winstel helped build an outstanding NKU women’s basketball program, and Dawn has the experience and enthusiasm to lead the program to a successful transition to the Atlantic Sun Conference.”
During her playing days at Michigan Tech, Plitzuweit was a four-year starter (1990-91, `92-95) and led the Huskies to a 99-22 overall record. During her career, Plitzuweit helped her team to one GLIAC Tournament title and four trips to the NCAA Division II Tournament. Plitzuweit closed out her career as MTU’s all-time leader in rebounds (866), assists (439), and steals (331), while ranking second in points (1,398) and games played (121).
Her individual achievements include back-to-back GLIAC Player of the Year awards, three consecutive all-conference first-team honors, and three league all-defensive team nods. Plitzuweit was a Division II Bulletin second team All-America selection in 1995 in addition to being a two-time Kodak All-America honorable mention (1994-95). She earned WBCA All-Academic accolades in 1993-94 and was named Michigan’s NCAA Woman of the Year in 1995. Plitzuweit graduated from Michigan Tech in 1995 with a degree in biological sciences.
A native of West Bend, Wis., Plitzuweit and her husband, Jay, have a son, A.J., and a daughter, Lexi.
