Michigan women's gymnastics coach Bev Plocki, who has been with the team for 36 years, announced her retirement Wednesday.
Legendary Michigan gymnastics coach Bev Plocki announced her retirement on Wednesday, July 16. She has been the head of the team since 1990.
Over her 36 seasons with the program, Plocki transformed the Wolverines from a team which struggled to put together winning seasons into one of only eight teams to ever win the NCAA women’s gymnastics championship, which they accomplished in 2021.
“"It's hard to put into words what this moment means to me," Plocki said in a statement. "At 23 years old, I was just a young woman with a passion for gymnastics and a dream, when three incredible leaders -- Bo Schembechler, Jack Weidenbach and Phyllis Ocker -- took a chance on me. They believed in me before I had proven anything, and because of their faith, I've had the privilege of spending my entire career here at the University of Michigan."
A native of Butler, Pennsylvania, Plocki began with the Wolverines in 1990, elevated from an assistant job she held at West Virginia to the head coach position with a Big Ten team. The team went 2-19 the year before Plocki was hired. In her first year with the team, they went 7-15 and were a 20-win team by her third year.
In her tenure as the Michigan head coach, Plocki led the Wolverines to 26 Big Ten championships – the most by any coach in any sport in the conference. Seven of them came consecutively between 1999 and 2005. Michigan has also seen eight Big Ten regular-season titles, 26 NCAA championship appearances and 10 NCAA Super Sixes.
Part of Plocki’s work as the Wolverines' head coach was in recruiting and improving the caliber of gymnast the program attracted. Beth Wymer became the program’s first NCAA All-American in 1992, and the program has since added 52 more. Gymnasts have also received 191 All-Big Ten honors. Plocki has coached 14 Big Ten Gymnast of the Year and 13 Big Ten Freshman of the Year.
Plocki has been recognized for her coaching prowess numerous times over the years. She’s garnered 11 Big Ten Coach of the Year awards, 13 NCAA Regional Coach of the Year awards and is a two-time National Coach of the Year, earned in 1994 and 2021.
Michigan has not announced who will succeed Plocki as head coach.
Contact Matthew Auchincloss at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan gymnastics coach Bev Plocki announces retirement
Category: General Sports
