Dawn Plitzuweit’s first season as West Virginia’s women’s basketball head coach will also be her last.
One day after the Mountaineers bowed out of the NCAA Tournament with an opening-round loss to Arizona, Plitzuweit accepted the same position at Minnesota.
“Earlier today I met with coach Plitzuweit, and she informed me she will be departing our basketball program to pursue an opportunity with the University of Minnesota,” WVU Director of Athletics Wren Baker said. “This move allows her to be closer to her home and her family, and we understand and respect that.
“I want to thank coach Plitzuweit for the positive impact she made on our women’s basketball program this year. I also want to thank our women’s basketball student-athletes for the pride they have and the effort they give in competing for West Virginia University. Our student-athletes deserve the best, and we will immediately begin a national search for our next head coach. We have a proud tradition, and our program is well positioned for the future. I am confident we will identify an outstanding leader to build on our success and take WVU women’s basketball to even greater heights.”
𝑰𝑻’𝑺 ✨ 𝑶𝑭𝑭𝑰𝑪𝑰𝑨𝑳 ✨@CoachDawnP is the next head basketball coach at the University of Minnesota!
🗞️: https://t.co/HmaUDCMr2z pic.twitter.com/kh5dyVfa5v
— Minnesota Women’s Basketball (@GopherWBB) March 18, 2023
Plitzuweit was hired by former WVU Director of Athletics Shane Lyons, who was fired last fall.
Plitzuweit replaced longtime WVU women’s coach Mike Carey, who retired following the 2021-22 season. Despite an abundance of roster turnover, the Mountaineers finished 19-12, including 10-8 in the Big 12, which was good for the No. 5 seed in the conference tournament.
Considered to be on the bubble, the Mountaineers earned an at-large bid into the NCAA Tournament, but it was a short stay in the postseason with the loss to the Wildcats in a game WVU never led.
Before her one season at West Virginia, Plitzuweit was head coach at Northern Kentucky from 2012-2016 and then South Dakota from 2016-2022.
She is originally from West Bend, Wisc., and replaces former Golden Gophers head coach Lindsay Whalen, who resigned earlier this month following five seasons in which she compiled a 71-76 record.
Baker will meet with the media to discuss the women’s basketball job opening Monday.