Plitzuweit is in her third season as head coach of the Grand Valley State (GSVU) women's basketball program. Since acquiring the position, Plitzuweit has tallied over 60 wins in two seasons at the helm of the Lakers, including a GVSU single-season record 24 wins in her first season in 2002-03. Plitzuweit led Grand Valley to the NCAA Tournament in 2002-03 for the first time in four years. This season, the Lady Lakers claimed the school's first-ever NCAA DII Great Lakes Regional Championship and advanced to the NCAA Division II Elite Eight in Hot Springs, Arkansas March 23-26.

Plitzuweit came to GVSU after a four-year stint as the top assistant and chief recruiter for the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay (UWGB) women's basketball program. During Plitzuweit's four years at UWGB, the Phoenix won four regular season Horizon League Championships, three conference tournament titles and made three trips to the NCAA Division I Tournament. Wisconsin-Green Bay compiled an overall record of 86-35, including a 50-7 Horizon League record during her tenure as an assistant. As well as the Phoenix played on the court during Plitzuweit's tenure, they were also able to get the job done in the classroom, evidenced by recording the highest cumulative grade point average among all DI women's basketball programs during the 2000-01 season. UWGB notched the second-best GPA following the 1999-2000 campaign.

"Russell Athletic is honored to congratulate Coach Dawn Plitzuweit, the 2005 RUSSELL ATHLETIC/WBCA NCAA Division II National Coach of the Year. With a deep commitment to supporting female athletes and elevating their athletic performance on the court, Russell Athletic shares Coach Plitzuwiet's passion for competition and devotion to preserving the integrity of sport," said Rod McGeachy, Vice President of Marketing for Russell Athletic. "We have the utmost respect and admiration for Coach Plitzuweit, and we applaud her dedication to mentoring young female athletes on and off the basketball court."

Plitzuweit is one of six RUSSELL ATHLETICS/WBCA National Coaches of the Year selected by the Association, which also names winners for each of the other four WBCA collegiate divisions (NCAA Divisions I and II, NAIA and JC/CC) and high school. Each collegiate winner is selected through a two-level process. The first level is by region, in which coaches from each WBCA geographical region vote for their respective top coach. Plitzuweit, having received the most votes in WBCA Region 4, advanced as a finalist to the national level of the selection process along with the other seven RUSSELL ATHLETIC/WBCA Regional Coaches of the Year in NCAA Division II.

RUSSELL ATHLETIC and the WBCA would also like to recognize the following regional Division II Coaches of the Year:

Plitzuweit and the national winners from the other five divisions will be presented to the WBCA membership at the RUSSELL ATHLETIC/WBCA National Coach of the Year Luncheon on Tuesday, April 5 at the Indianapolis Marriott Downtown. The luncheon is part of the 2005 WBCA National Convention, held in conjunction with the NCAA Division I Women's Final Four in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Founded in 1981, the WBCA promotes women's basketball by unifying coaches at all levels to develop a reputable identity for the sport and to foster and promote the development of the game in all of its aspects as an amateur sport for women and girls. For more information about the WBCA, please visit WBCA.org.