Beverly Plocki
Bev Plocki has completed her 32nd season as head coach of the University of Michigan women's gymnastics program. During her tenure, Plocki has transformed the program into a consistent national powerhouse, winning the programs first-ever national title in 2021. She has led the Wolverines to 24 Big Ten championships, the most by any coach, in any sport, in Big Ten history. She also has guided the squad to six Big Ten regular season titles, 25 NCAA Championship appearances and 10 NCAA Super Six berths.
One of the nation's top gymnastics coaches, Plocki is an 11-time Big Ten Coach of the Year, 11-time NCAA Regional Coach of the Year and a two-time National Coach of the Year, earning the honor in 2021 and 1994. She has led Michigan to 12 NCAA Regional titles and has guided the Wolverines to 24 top 10 finishes at the NCAA Championships. Under her tutelage, Michigan captured a Big Ten-record seven conference titles in a row from 1999-2005, while 52 of her student-athletes have secured 198 NCAA All-America honors and nine NCAA individual national titles.
Plocki inherited the program in 1990 that had finished no better than fourth at the Big Ten in the seven seasons prior to her arrival. In 1989, the year before Plocki took over, the Wolverines finished last in the Big Ten with a 2-19 overall record and were a winless 0-13 in the Big Ten. She took Michigan from a seven-win team in her first year (1990) to a 20-win team in her third year (1992), while also securing the program's second Big Ten title and second NCAA Championships appearance. She also captured the first of what would be four-straight Big Ten Coach of the Year awards in 1992, while adding the first of four NCAA Regional Coach of the Year trophies to her mantle. Michigan also celebrated its first NCAA All-American when freshman Beth Wymer finished among the nation's best in the uneven bars and in the all-around competition, earning a pair of NCAA All-America (first team) accolades. The Wolverines proceeded to rally off a then-Big Ten record six-straight conference titles over the next six years as Plocki vaulted Michigan to the top of the conference. In just three seasons, Michigan became a perennial contender for the national championship.
In 32 seasons at Michigan, Plocki has coached five U-M gymnasts -- Elise Ray, Beth Wymer, Kylee Botterman, Joanna Sampson and Natalie Wojcik -- to a total of nine individual national championships. Additionally, 52 of her student-athletes have combined to receive 198 NCAA All-America citations. Her gymnasts have also received a total of 162 All-Big Ten honors and won or tied 99 Big Ten individual event titles. Plocki has coached 12 Big Ten Gymnast of the Year winners and 13 Big Ten Freshman of the Year award winners. Plocki's student-athletes have also excelled in the classroom with 206 Academic All-Big Ten honors and 112 student-athletes earning National Association of Collegiate Gymnastics Coaches (NACGC) Scholastic All-America accolades. Plocki's Wolverines earned Michigan's inaugural Community Service Award in 2001, repeating in 2002, while earning the Leaders and Best Award in 2000 and 2001, given to the U-M team with the highest GPA.
In 1994, Plocki received the NCAA National Coach of the Year award after guiding the Wolverines to a program-best 27-1 record and a fourth-place finish at the NCAA Championships.
Plocki, a native of Butler, Pennsylvania, was a gymnast at Alabama for one season (1983) before transferring and finishing up her college career at West Virginia (1985-87), where she received her bachelor's of science degree in physical education (1987) and her master's degree in sports management and administration (1989). She is a graduate of the NCAA Women's Coaches Academy (Dimension II) where she was the recipient of the Judy Sweet Spirit Award in 2007.