Bev Plocki
Beverly Plocki is known for not taking “no” for an answer.
At just 24 years old and fresh out of West Virginia University’s masters program in sports management and administration in ’89, Plocki began her head coaching career in gymnastics at the University of Michigan the very next year—a program that was slated to be dropped. Plocki fought for her program’s survival and wouldn’t take “no” for an answer. Now, in her 21st season at Michigan, you might say she keeps on winning.
After inheriting a virtually winless team in 1990, Plocki brought UM gymnastics to seven wins in her first season as head coach. By 1991, her team reached 13 wins, and a year later, racked up 20 victories, a Big Ten title and second place in the NCAA Central Region. She also was given the first of four-straight Big Ten Coach of the Year awards in 1992 as well as earning the first of four NCAA Regional Coach of the Year trophies.
“This job is very much your life. This is not a job where you can go to work, and then come home and leave your work at work,” Plocki said. “This is something that comes home with me every day.”
Although hard work and dedication are important aspects of Plocki’s success, they are not the only reasons she was able to achieve so much at a young age.
The Butler, Pa., native started college at the University of Alabama on a gymnastics scholarship where she was also an all-American. But something wasn’t quite right. That’s where WVU gymnastics coach Linda Burdette-Good came in with a good call.
“Linda knew my mother and called when she found out I wasn’t happy at Alabama,” Plocki said. “She convinced me to come back to school at West Virginia and finish my collegiate gymnastics career. So, that’s what I did. I came back to West Virginia, and it was probably one of the best decisions I ever made.”
After receiving her undergrad at WVU in physical education and earning her teaching certificate in K-12, Plocki stayed at WVU to get her masters and became Burdette-Good’s graduate assistant coach.
“Linda has been such a mentor to me and has had a big influence on what I’m doing and who I am today,” Plocki said. “When I was her graduate assistant coach, she was actually pregnant with her daughter. So, I had an opportunity to be able to do a lot more things that I probably wouldn’t have typically done had she been working on a regular schedule.
“I really feel like that whole experience prepared me very well for coming to UM at the ripe old age of 24 and being handed my own program to run.”
Under Burdette-Good’s wing, Plocki found the guidance that helped her prepare for the most rewarding part of being a head coach—her gymnastics team. Having a positive influence on what the students on her team do for the rest of their lives, in and out of the gym, is why she loves coaching.
“I feel like that’s something Linda did for me,” she said. “It’s always been something I looked at as being a big component of my job outside of actually coaching.”
Plocki tries to return to West Virginia for at least one football game every season and to visit with Burdette-Good. Plocki currently resides in Saline, Mich., with her husband and two children.
This article was written by Cordia Lucas, a professional writing senior at WVU.