Plocki Announces Retirement After Historic 36-Year Coaching Career
7/16/2025 9:00:00 AM | Women's Gymnastics
• Visual Story: A Look Back at Plocki's Coaching Journey
• Watch: Plocki Shares Heartfelt Farewell
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Head coach Bev Plocki announced on Wednesday (July 16) that she is retiring after 36 seasons at the helm of the University of Michigan women's gymnastics program.
During her tenure, Plocki has transformed the program into a consistent national powerhouse, winning the program's first-ever national title in 2021. She has led the Wolverines to 26 Big Ten championships -- the most by any coach, in any sport -- in Big Ten history. She has also guided the squad to eight Big Ten regular-season titles, 26 NCAA Championship appearances and 10 NCAA Super Six berths. Plocki's coaching tree has seen numerous student-athletes and assistant coaches go on to coach at the NCAA level, including seven head coaches at the nation's top programs across the country.
"It's hard to put into words what this moment means to me," said Plocki. "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." Plocki said. "It's been the journey of a lifetime, but let me be clear, I did not do this alone. I've had the honor of working alongside some of the most amazing assistant coaches in the country -- coaches who challenged me, inspired me and gave their all to this program. A special thank you to Don Shepherd, whose vision and generosity gave us one of the best practice facilities in the country, and who has continuously helped elevate our program in countless ways. To my husband Jim -- your quiet strength and unwavering support have been my rock. You did whatever needed to be done to allow me the freedom to lead this program with everything I had. To my children, Elizabeth and Tyler -- I can't say enough about what your support has meant to me; you've always been my biggest cheerleaders. I know there were games and meets I missed, but I made it to everything I possibly could. And through it all, your love never wavered. Thank you for understanding the passion I brought to my work and for sharing me with so many others.
"And to the heart of this program -- our athletes, current and former -- thank you for trusting me. Thank you for believing in our vision. You are the building blocks of everything we've achieved. Watching you grow from wide-eyed recruits into confident, strong, successful women, wives and mothers has been the greatest reward of this job. People often ask me what I love most about coaching. The answer is simple: it's you. Always you. To the entire Michigan community -- thank you for giving me not just a job, but a life, a purpose, and a family. Serving as the head coach of the University of Michigan Women's Gymnastics program has been the greatest honor of my life. Not many people get to say they only ever had one job, but I did. And it was the best one imaginable. I may be stepping away from the floor, but I'll never be far from this program or the people who make it so special. From the bottom of my heart, thank you. And as always ... forever, Go Blue!"
"Bev is an icon in the women's gymnastics community and stands as one of the most successful coaches in the history of the sport," said Warde Manuel, the Donald R. Shepherd Director of Athletics. "No coach in the history of the Big Ten Conference in any sport has won more titles than Bev. She built and sustained one of the nation's premier gymnastics programs, highlighted by winning the 2021 national championship and 26 Big Ten titles. The success Bev has brought to our program is unparalleled, and the gymnasts she has nurtured into exceptional athletes, students and citizens are unmatched. We will deeply miss her presence in the gym but wish Bev and Jim immense enjoyment in her well-deserved retirement."
One of the nation's top gymnastics coaches, Plocki is an 11-time Big Ten Coach of the Year, a 13-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 13 NCAA Regional titles and has guided the Wolverines to 25 top-10 finishes at the NCAA Championships. Under her tutelage, Michigan captured a Big Ten-record seven conference titles in a row from 1999 to 2005, while 53 of her student-athletes have secured 212 NCAA All-America honors and nine NCAA individual national titles.
Plocki and the Wolverines joined an exclusive club, becoming just the seventh team to ever capture an NCAA women's gymnastics title in 2021, scoring the third-best score in championship history and the best score in Michigan history. The Wolverines joined Georgia, Utah, UCLA, Alabama, Oklahoma and Florida as the only teams in the country to win a national championship at the time, as LSU was added in the 2024 campaign. Plocki and her staff led Michigan to its first national championship with a then-program-best 198.2500. The Wolverines eclipsed the 198 mark for the first time in 2021 and ended the season with four scores of 198.000 or higher.
Plocki inherited the program in 1990, which had finished no better than fourth at the Big Ten in the seven seasons prior to her arrival. 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 36 seasons at Michigan, her gymnasts have also received a total of 191 All-Big Ten honors and won or tied for 110 Big Ten individual event titles. Plocki has coached 14 Big Ten Gymnast of the Year and 13 Big Ten Freshman of the Year award winners. She has also coached four AAI Award winners and eight Big Ten Medal of Honor recipients.
Her student-athletes have also excelled in the classroom, with 103 student-athletes being named Academic All-Big Ten and 73 student-athletes earning 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.
Plocki, a native of Butler, Pa., 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 and was a member of the 2018 West Virginia Hall of Fame Class.
