Michigan Woman
Bev Plocki Transformed U-M Gymnastics into National Powerhouse
Megan McIntosh
Bev's Heartfelt Farewell
“To the entire Michigan community -- thank you for giving me not just a job, but a life, a purpose, and a family.”
The Making of a Gymnastics Icon
Growing up in Butler, Pa., Bev Plocki was one of four daughters, and proudly the “tomboy” of the family. Naturally athletic and especially close to her father, she found her passion early in gymnastics, starting at the local YMCA at just 6 years old. Her parents were encouraged to enroll her in a more serious gymnastics program, which was 30 minutes from home. Her talent quickly became evident, prompting coaches to recommend more advanced training. This led to a new gym 30 minutes from home, and later to one even farther -- an hour and a half away. Determined to pursue the sport she loved, Bev and her parents committed to the schedule, making six-day-a-week commutes so she could train for six hours each day.
As she progressed through the competitive ranks, Bev traveled across the country for meets, eventually earning a full athletic scholarship to the University of Alabama, where she became an All-American on the balance beam. She later transferred to West Virginia University, where she continued to compete, completed her undergraduate degree, and spent two years as a graduate assistant coach while earning her masters.
Immediately following her graduation from West Virginia, she was offered and accepted the job as the head coach of the University of Michigan women’s gymnastics team, where she has been for her entire career. When she first arrived in Ann Arbor, there were separate athletic departments for women’s and men’s sports, and she was an integral part of bringing the departments together under one athletic department, fighting for equality for women’s sports.
She made history at Michigan, winning 26 Big Ten championship titles, the most of any coach in any sport in the Big Ten, and earning the program’s first-ever national championship in 2021. Establishing herself as one of the nation's top gymnastics coaches, Plocki is an 11-time Big Ten Coach of the Year, 13-time NCAA Regional Coach of the Year and a two-time National Coach of the Year, earning the honor in 2021 and 1994.
Plocki’s coaching legacy includes a strong coaching tree, with numerous former student-athletes and assistant coaches advancing to the NCAA level -- among them, seven who have become head coaches at some of the nation’s top collegiate programs.
By the Numbers
Plocki guided the Wolverines to an NCAA Championship in 2021, 26 of Michigan’s 27 Big Ten championship titles, eight regular-season Big Ten titles, 26 NCAA Championship appearances and 10 NCAA Super Six berths over her tenure and has solidified U-M among the top programs in the country. She has led Michigan to 13 NCAA Regional titles and has guided the Wolverines to 25 top-10 finishes at the NCAA Championships.
• 1,011-291-5 (.774) overall record
• 345-51 (.871) Big Ten record
• 26 Big Ten Conference titles
• Record for the most Big Ten titles by any coach in Big Ten history for any sport (26)
• 8 Big Ten Regular-Season titles
• 7 consecutive conference titles, a Big Ten record (1999-2005)
• 13 NCAA Regional Championships (1997, '99, 2000, '01, '03, '05, '06, '11, '13, '14, '17, '21, '22)
• 26 NCAA Championship appearances
• 10 NCAA Super Six appearances (1994, '95, '96, '97, '99, '00, '01, '03, '05, '11)
• 138 NACGC/W Scholastic All-America honors from 73 student-athletes
• 212 NCAA All-American citations from 53 student-athletes
• 114 Big Ten individual champions
• 16 consecutive NCAA Championships Appearances (1992-2008)
• 14 consecutive top two finishes at NCAA Regional Championships (1994-2008)
• 31 consecutive top four finishes at NCAA Regional Championships (1992-2019, 2021-2023) * 2020 regional canceled due to COVID-19 pandemic
• 33 consecutive NCAA Regional Appearances (1992-2025)
Under her tutelage, Michigan captured a Big Ten-record seven conference titles in a row from 1999-2005, while 53 of her student-athletes have secured 212 NCAA All-America honors and nine NCAA individual national titles.
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. Many of them have gone on to become incredibly successful head coaches in their own right, and I’m so proud of every one of them. Especially my current staff, who have been and will continue to be unbelievable.Bev Plocki
2021 National Champions
On April 17, 2021, Michigan earned its first NCAA championship and joined an exclusive club, becoming just the seventh team to even win a national title. It all came down to one final routine, as every other event had finished. Junior Abby Heiskell stood alone on the beam as the rest of the No. 2-ranked University of Michigan women's gymnastics team watched and waited for the final score to flash.
Needing a 9.8500 for the Wolverines to capture their first-ever championship, Heiskell delivered with a 9.9250, and Michigan became the 2021 national champion with a then-program-best 198.2500 at Dickies Arena.
"This is 32 years I've been waiting for this feeling," said Plocki. "It's just an unbelievable pride and just an admiration for what our team has been through and the sacrifices that they've made."
U-M joined an exclusive club, becoming just the seventh team to ever capture an NCAA women's gymnastics title, 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.
In Frame: Through the Years
