Plitzuweit’s Time With WVU Was Short, But Impactful
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On Saturday, West Virginia's women's basketball team lost a basketball game.
Best way to put it would be one and done.
On Sunday, West Virginia's women's basketball team lost its coach.
Same thing -- one and done.
After one promising year, Dawn Plitzuweit has left West Virginia and taken the same job at Minnesota with a sizable raise.
Why, after rebuilding the team, getting into the NCAA Tournament and earning about a half million dollars this year, including her bonuses and incentives?
It was like everyday people were coming to work at the basketball practice facility singing the lyrics of that old Frankie Valli song:
"Dawn, go away, I'm no good for you."
Quite the contrary. She was a popular addition to the WVU sports scene, seemingly dedicated to her job, pleasant to deal with and for those of you who weren't sportswriters and had to spell Plitzuweit every time her team played, had few drawbacks.
Well, the money played a big role in that and hopefully that will get through to new athletic director Wren Baker, who now is looking at his first major hire.
See, if you are going to play with the big folks, you have to pay like the big folks.
He didn't hire Plitzoweit -- Shane Lyons did -- but he must hire her replacement and, make no doubt about it, money was involved in her decision to go to a team that this past year went 11-19 -- the exact reversal of her regular season record at WVU.
There was no mention of a buyout in a statement about her departure put out by Baker. Her contract calls for her to pay the school 25% of the remaining time on her contract -- which is four years. She would owe $612,500 on that.
It's possible that Minnesota will pay that off or pay part of it, just as WVU gave her $100,000 to "assist" in paying off her buyout when she left South Dakota.
The two parties could have negotiated a lesser buyout when she met with Baker on Saturday after returning from Maryland, where she and her 10th-seeded WVU team were eliminated in the first round of the NCAA Tournament by seventh-seed Arizona, 75-62.
"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. This move allows her to be closer to her home and her family, and we understand and respect that," Baker said.
This is important, for her parents have health problems and she would be closer to their Midwest home than she is in Morgantown.
"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."
Plitzuwiet replaced Mike Carey, who retired after 21 seasons with a 462-254 record at WVU.
According to one source, Carey would be interested in getting back into coaching after sitting out this year, and there has been some interest in him from both WVU and TCU.
Plitzuweit came to WVU after six years at South Dakota, where she dominated with a 158-36 record and with a run to the Sweet 16 last year.
"I am extremely excited," Plitzuweit said in the release from the University of Minnesota. "It is a tremendous honor to be named head coach at Minnesota. This is a homecoming of sorts and Minnesota is a program that I am very familiar with from my previous time in the surrounding area and in the Big Ten.
"I am looking forward to getting back to the area and to meeting the team, alumni and fans. I am also looking forward to reconnecting with local high school and club coaches. I can't wait to get to work."
Baker now has to get moving on his next hire for there is much on his table. By the start of May, he must decide if he wants to keep Hall of Fame basketball coach Bob Huggins. Huggins is signed through the 2023-24 season but the decision if he will continue in 2024-25 must be made by May 1.
And on Monday, WVU's football team begins its spring practice and Baker's meeting with the media over the women's situation will come after Brown's opening day press conference.
Brown, of course, is going to go through this season with Baker evaluating his performance after a disappointing first four years on the job.