Gophers Are Back in March — and Their Coach Has Been Dancing All Along

The Gophers' head coach has plenty of experience heading into Minnesota's first NCAA Tournament game since 2017-18.

Oct 2, 2024; Rosemont, IL, USA; Minnesota head coach Dawn Plitzuweit speaks during the 2024 Big Ten Womenís Basketball media day at Donald E. Stephens Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Melissa Tamez-Imagn Images | Melissa Tamez-Imagn Images

The Gophers are in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2017-18, but it will be the fifth appearence for head coach Dawn Plitzuweit in that same time frame. She went to the big dance three times at South Dakota and once at West Virginia. Let's break down all four runs.

2018-19: South Dakota (No. 8 seed)

The Coyotes' No. 8 seed in 2019 was the highest in program history. They earned an at-large invitation from the Summit League at 23-9, with nonconference wins over Iowa State, Creighton, and Missouri being enough to build their resume. They lost 79-66 to Clemson in the first round, but it was a foundational season for the program.

*Note: South Dakota was 30-2 in the 2019-20 season, and they won the Summit League tournament before the COVID-19 pandemic wiped out the NCAA Tournament. They were ranked No. 17 in the final AP Top 25 poll

2020-21: South Dakota (No. 11 seed)

South Dakota went 19-5 during the 2020-21 season, which earned them a No. 11 seed in the NCAA Tournament. They were one of the best mid-major programs in the country, but they lost 67-47 to Oregon in the first round.

2021-22: South Dakota (No. 10 seed)

South Dakota women's basketball head coach Dawn Plitzuweit holds the Summit League trophy and game net after winning the tournament for the third year running on Tuesday, March 8, 2022, at the Denny Sanford Premier Center in Sioux Falls. Women Summit League Championship 034 | Erin Woodiel / Argus Leader / USA TODAY NETWORK

Plitzuweit's deepest NCAA Tournament run came in 2021-22 behind star post player Hannah Sjerven's final college season. The Coyotes had just one conference loss that season, which earned them a No. 10 seed in the tournament. They beat Ole Miss by 14 points in the first round, and their most impressive result was a 14-point win over No. 2 seed Baylor in the Round of 32. They nearly beat No. 3 Michigan in the Sweet 16, falling by a final score of 52-49.

2022-23: West Virginia (No. 10 seed)

West Virginia head coach Dawn Plitzuweit yells top players in the first half during a women s college basketball game between the Oklahoma State Cowgirls (OSU) and the West Virgina Mountaineers at Gallagher-Iba Arena in Stillwater, Okla., on Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2023. Osu Vs West Virginia | NATHAN J FISH/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK

Plitzuweit's lone season in Morgantown ended with a 19-12 record, and the Mountaineers snuck into the tournament as a No. 10 seed. They lost 75-62 in the first round against Arizona.

2025-26 @ Minnesota (No. 4 seed)

Minnesota Golden Gophers head coach Dawn Plitzuweit cheers on her team during the second half of the NCAA women's basketball game against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Value City Arena in Columbus on Feb. 13, 2025. Ohio State won 87-84 in overtime. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

This year will be Plitzuweit's first time hosting an NCAA Tournament game as a head coach, and it will be her highest seed by a wide margin. She has a 2-4 record in the big dance, but her teams were the lower seed in all but one of the previous matchups. Friday's first-round game against Green Bay might be unfamiliar territory for the Gophers, but Plitzuweit has experience to lead Minnesota onto the court in a high-pressure environment.