March 26, 2006

Grand Valley State women's basketball head coach Dawn Plitzuweit has been named the 2006 Molten/Women's Division II Bulletin Coach of the Year. She led her team to a school record 33-3 overall record and its first-ever DII Women's Basketball National Championship with a 58-52 win over American International Saturday night. The Lakers ended the year with a school-record 22-game win streak.

"Dawn did a great job in leading her team to the highest level of sucess - a national title," said WDIIB Editor Gary Rubin. "A 22-game win streak to end the year is an amazing accomplishment and she is most deserving of this award."

Plitzuweit, a second-team WDIIB All-American selection in 1995 as a senior at Michigan Tech, becomes the first former WDIIB All-American to also be named WDIIB Coach of the Year.

Last season, Dawn was named the 2005 Russell Athletic/WBCA National Coach of the Year.