Coaches
Dawn Plitzuweit
Head Coach
Dawn Plitzuweit was named the 13th women's basketball coach in Minnesota history on March 18, 2023.
Plitzuweit (PLITTS-zoo-white) joins the Maroon and Gold after serving as the head coach at West Virginia University last season where she led the Mountaineers to an NCAA Tournament berth in 2023.
Prior to her season in Morgantown Plitzuweit also served as the head coach at South Dakota from 2016-22. During her six seasons in Vermillion, South Dakota, she amassed a 158-36 record, including an 83-10 mark in the Summit League. The three-time Summit League Coach of the Year, Plitzuweit led the Coyotes to three regular-season championships, three conference tournament championships, four NCAA Tournament appearances and a berth in the 2022 NCAA Sweet 16 during her tenure at USD.
Plitzuweit brings in a career coaching record of 365-141 (.721) in 16 seasons as a head coach, including a 248-103 (.707) at the Division I level. Prior to South Dakota and West Virginia Plitzuweit also was the head coach at Northern Kentucky (2012-16) and Grand Valley State (2002-07). She also was an assistant coach at Michigan (2007-12), Green Bay (1998-02), Wisconsin (1997-98) and her alma mater Michigan Tech (1995-97).
As a head coach Plitzuweit has been a mainstay in postseason play, reaching either the NCAA Tournament, WNIT or CBI in 15 of her 16 seasons as a head coach. She holds the Summit League record for overall winning percentage (.814) and conference winning percentage (.892). She's totaled 15 winning seasons, two 30-win campaigns and nine 20-win seasons.
Plitzuweit's honors over her coaching career include the 2021-22 Kay Yow Award, presented annually to the Division I women’s head college basketball coach who embodies a winning spirit while displaying great character, on and off the court. She was the Summit League Coach of the Year three straight years (2017-18, 2018-19, 2019-20). She also was the 2005-06 NCAA Division II National Coach of the Year at Grand Valley State University.
Statistically, Plitzuweit’s teams in each of the past five seasons have ranked in the top 20 nationally in turnover margin, including the 2022-23 season at West Virginia at a margin of 6.1, which was the No. 1 mark in the Big 12 and the ninth-best margin in the country.
A 1995 graduate of Michigan Tech, Plitzuweit earned back-to-back GLIAC Player of the Year awards, four all-conference honors and three all-defensive team nods. She led the Huskies to a 99-22 record and four trips to the NCAA Division II Tournament. She was a Division II Bulletin All-America Second Team selection and a two-time Kodak All-America honorable mention pick (1994, 1995). She earned WBCA All-Academic accolades in 1994 and 1995 and was named Michigan’s NCAA Woman of the Year in 1995.
Jason Jeschke
Associate Head Coach
Jeschke (JESS-key), a native of Dallas, Texas, comes to Minneapolis after one season at West Virginia in the same role. He was officially introduced to Minnesota's staff on March 27, 2023.
In 2022-23 Jeschke helped the Mountaineers to a 2023 NCAA Tournament appearance and coached an All-Big 12 First Team selection, a Big 12 All-Defensive Team selection and an All-Big 12 Honorable Mention selection.
Prior to his time in Morgantown Jeschke spent five seasons under Plitzuweit at South Dakota. From 2017-22, he assisted the program to a 135-27 overall record, including a 73-5 mark in the Summit League. Additionally, Jeschke helped guide USD to three regular-season championships, three conference tournament championships and four NCAA Tournament berths, including a Sweet 16 appearance in 2022. Jeschke began his time at USD as an assistant coach for the 2017-18 campaign, before being elevated to associate head coach prior to the 2018-19 season. Jeschke also recruited and coached 19 Summit League All-Conference selections in his five seasons at South Dakota, including two Players of the Year, five consecutive Defensive Players of the Year, two Newcomers of the Year and four Sixth Woman of the Year recipients. Jeschke graduated from Southwestern College (Kan.) with a bachelor's in sport management in 2009.
In 2021-22, South Dakota finished the season with a 29-6 record and won the Summit League title in the regular season and conference tournament. Following its third consecutive conference tournament title, USD earned the automatic bid for the Summit League in the 2022 NCAA Tournament, earning a No. 10 seed, and defeated No. 7-seeded Ole Miss, 75-61.
South Dakota met up with No. 2-seeded Baylor in the round of 32 and defeated the Bears, 61-47, on their home court in Waco, Texas, to advance to the first Sweet 16 in program history. The Coyotes led from start to finish to snap BU’s streak of 12 consecutive Sweet 16 appearances.
South Dakota concluded the 2021-22 campaign with a 52-49 loss to No. 3-seeded Michigan in the Sweet 16, in which the Coyotes were tied with the Wolverines until 22 seconds remained in the game.
While at South Dakota, Jeschke helped Plitzuweit’s teams assert themselves as the premier mid-major program in the country. USD tallied at least 28 wins in four seasons and never lost more than seven games in Jeschke’s five years with the team.
Moreover, in the history of the Summit League, only four teams have ever run the table during the regular season. Two of those three teams were Plitzuweit’s Coyotes – in 2018 and 2020. In 2020, her squad outscored league opponents by an average of 32 points per game and became the first and only program to go undefeated in the Summit League’s regular season and win the conference tournament championship.
Jeschke also helped Plitzuweit’s South Dakota teams capture the Summit League records for the most consecutive wins (20, 2017-18), most consecutive league wins (24, 2019-21), most consecutive home league wins (31, 2017-pres.), highest overall winning percentage (.938, 2019-20) and fewest losses (2, 2019-20).
During his time at South Dakota, the Coyotes made their first appearance in the Associated Press (AP) and USA Today Coaches polls, ranking as high as No. 17 in the AP Poll and No. 11 in the Coaches Poll, both of which came during the 2019-20 campaign. Of note, USD’s No. 11 ranking in the Coaches Poll in 2020 is the highest national ranking earned by a team in the Summit League’s history.
South Dakota also set the Summit League records during the 2019-20 season for weeks in both polls, with 16 weeks in the Coaches Poll and 12 weeks in the AP Poll. From 2018-22, USD has received votes or been ranked in the AP Top 25 in 45 weeks.
Statistically, Jeschke was part of a coaching staff that helped South Dakota rank in the top 20 nationally in scoring margin and turnover margin from 2018-22. During that four-year stretch, the Coyotes outscored their opponents by an average of 18.5 points per game and maintained a turnover margin of 6.2 during that span.
Jeschke also recruited and coached 19 Summit League All-Conference selections in his five seasons at South Dakota, including two Players of the Year, five consecutive Defensive Players of the Year, two Newcomers of the Year and four Sixth Woman of the Year recipients.
Jeschke came to South Dakota after spending three seasons as the head coach at Oklahoma Wesleyan University. From 2014-17, the Eagles posted a 58-38 overall record and a 31-24 record in conference play. Jeschke recruited and coached 11 all-conference players and one NAIA All-American at OKWU. His 2015-16 team finished fifth nationally in scoring offense with 83.5 points per game.
Jeschke has served on the NAIA Tournament committee and the NAIA/WBCA All-America committee. He and his wife, Courtney, have a daughter, Rylee.
Aaron Horn
Assistant Coach
Horn, a Cleveland, Ohio, native joins Minnesota’s staff in the Twin Cities after spending the last seven seasons with Plitzuweit at West Virginia and South Dakota. He was officially introduced to the staff on March 27, 2023.
Horn aided the West Virginia staff to the NCAA Tournament in 2023 and coached three All-Big 12 selections. Horn was named to the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Thirty Under 30 class of 2017 and helped Plitzuweit become the fastest Summit League coach to reach 100 wins in just 124 games.
Prior to his time in Vermillion, South Dakota, Horn spent three seasons (2013-16) at Division II Ursuline College (Ohio) as an assistant. The Arrows won the Great Midwest Athletic Conference regular season and conference tournament to reach the 2016 NCAA Division II Tournament. Horn also brings coaching experience from the AAU level. He spent four years as the head coach for the Toledo Elite AAU Club and two years at the helm of the Cleveland Wolverines AAU Club. Horn earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration from Toledo in 2012.
In 2021-22, South Dakota finished the season with a 29-6 record and won the Summit League title in the regular season and conference tournament. Following its third consecutive conference tournament title, USD earned the automatic bid for the Summit League in the 2022 NCAA Tournament, earning a No. 10 seed, and defeated No. 7-seeded Ole Miss, 75-61.
South Dakota met up with No. 2-seeded Baylor in the round of 32 and defeated the Bears, 61-47, on their home court in Waco, Texas, to advance to the first Sweet 16 in program history. The Coyotes led from start to finish to snap BU’s streak of 12 consecutive Sweet 16 appearances.
South Dakota concluded the 2021-22 campaign with a 52-49 loss to No. 3-seeded Michigan in the Sweet 16, in which the Coyotes were tied with the Wolverines until 22 seconds remained in the game.
While at South Dakota, Horn helped Plitzuweit’s teams assert themselves as the premier mid-major program in the country. USD tallied at least 28 wins in four seasons and never lost more than nine games in Horn’s six years with the team.
Moreover, in the history of the Summit League, only four teams have ever run the table during the regular season. Two of those three teams were Plitzuweit’s Coyotes – in 2018 and 2020. In 2020, her squad outscored league opponents by an average of 32 points per game and became the first and only program to go undefeated in the Summit League’s regular season and win the conference tournament championship.
Horn also helped Plitzuweit’s South Dakota teams capture the Summit League records for the most consecutive wins (20, 2017-18), most consecutive league wins (24, 2019-21), most consecutive home league wins (31, 2017-pres.), highest overall winning percentage (.938, 2019-20) and fewest losses (2, 2019-20).
During his time at South Dakota, the Coyotes made their first appearance in the Associated Press (AP) and USA Today Coaches polls, ranking as high as No. 17 in the AP Poll and No. 11 in the Coaches Poll, both of which came during the 2019-20 campaign. Of note, USD’s No. 11 ranking in the Coaches Poll in 2020 is the highest national ranking earned by a team in the Summit League’s history.
South Dakota also set the Summit League records during the 2019-20 season for weeks in both polls, with 16 weeks in the Coaches Poll and 12 weeks in the AP Poll. From 2018-22, USD has received votes or been ranked in the AP Top 25 in 45 weeks.
Statistically, Horn was part of a coaching staff that helped South Dakota rank in the top 20 nationally in scoring margin and turnover margin from 2018-22. During that four-year stretch, the Coyotes outscored their opponents by an average of 18.5 points per game and maintained a turnover margin of 6.2 during that span.
Horn has coached 11 All-Summit League players, a pair of Summit League Players of the Year in Ciara Duffy (2020) and Chloe Lamb (2022). Other all-league players include three-time first-team pick Allison Arens, three-time first-team pick Hannah Sjerven, three-time pick Liv Korngable and two-time pick Jasmine Trimboli. With defense a point of emphasis in the program, South Dakota picked up five straight Summit League Defensive Player of the Year nods from 2018-22, including Trimboli (2018), Arens (2019) and Sjerven (2020, 2021, 2022). The Coyotes also led the league in scoring defense each season during that five-year stretch.
Horn also has spent time during the summers as a coach/counselor at the University of Notre Dame’s women’s basketball camp, as well as working camps at Toledo and St. Francis High School. Horn earned his bachelor’s of business administration from Toledo in 2012.
Ariel Braker
Assistant Coach
Braker, a native of Grosse Pointe Woods, Mich., joins Plitzuweit’s staff with the Gophers after spending one year at both West Virginia and South Dakota in the same role of Assistant Coach as well as serving as the recruiting coordinator in Vermillion. She officially joined Minnesota's staff on March 27, 2023.
Braker’s coaching career also includes stints at Oakland (2019-21), Lehigh (2017-19), Western Texas (2016-17), Grosse Point North (HS) and Wayne State (Mich.). She has experience with player development of post players, recruiting, scouting, game strategy, scheduling and mentoring student-athletes. Braker was also a two-year starter and three-time captain during her four-year career at Notre Dame (2010-14) under Naismith Hall of Fame coach Muffet McGraw. She was a member of the winningest class in program history, with a 138-15 overall record, four Final Four berths and three National Championship appearances.
In 2021-22, South Dakota finished the season with a 29-6 record and won the Summit League title in the regular season and conference tournament. Following its third consecutive conference tournament title, USD earned the automatic bid for the Summit League in the 2022 NCAA Tournament, earning a No. 10 seed, and defeated No. 7-seeded Ole Miss, 75-61.
South Dakota met up with No. 2-seeded Baylor in the round of 32 and defeated the Bears, 61-47, on their home court in Waco, Texas, to advance to the first Sweet 16 in program history. The Coyotes led from start to finish to snap BU’s streak of 12 consecutive Sweet 16 appearances.
South Dakota concluded the 2021-22 campaign with a 52-49 loss to No. 3-seeded Michigan in the Sweet 16, in which the Coyotes were tied with the Wolverines until 22 seconds remained in the game.
A native of Grosse Pointe Woods, Michigan, Braker graduated from Notre Dame in 2014 with a bachelor of arts in industrial design. She earned her master’s degree in sports administration from Wayne State in 2015.
Tyler VanWinkle
Assistant Coach/Director of Video Services
Tyler VanWinkle joined the University of Minnesota women's basketball staff in April of 2023. He came to the Twin Cities after one season at West Virginia as the video coordinator as well as two previous seasons as a graduate assistant for the Illinois State women’s basketball program. Prior to that, he was a student manager from 2018-20.
Last season at West Virginia VanWinkle aided the Mountineers to an 19-12 record and a spot in the 2023 NCAA Tournament. He coordinated all video that was used for scouting, recruiting and player development. He produced analytics for all practices and games and was the director of high school and youth camps in Morgantown.
While serving as the graduate assistant for ISU, VanWinkle was a member of a staff that led the Redbirds to the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament Championship and the NCAA Tournament in 2021-22. The squad also made its first postseason WNIT appearance since 2012-13 during his first year as a GA and went 73-45 during his four total seasons with the team.
Additionally, he contributed to the individual development of two All-MVC guards the 2022 MVC Tournament MVP JuJu Redmond during his time at Illinois State. His other duties included assisting the team’s video coordinator with team and individual practice film, game film and opponent scouting.
VanWinkle also assisted with opponent scouting, practice planning, game preparation, player development, recruiting, in-game analytics, team travel and operations while at ISU.
A native of New Paris, Ohio, VanWinkle completed his bachelor’s in business administration from Illinois State in 2020. He went on to earn his master’s in sport management from ISU in 2022.
Chloe Lamb
Assistant Coach/Director of Player Development
Chloe Lamb joined the University of Minnesota women’s basketball staff in April 2024. Lamb serves as director of player development / assistant coach for Minnesota.
She joined the Gophers after a two-year stint as an assistant coach at the University of Mary in Bismarck, N.D., where she also specialized in player development and recruiting while with the Marauders.
Lamb played for Minnesota heac Coach Dawn Plitzuweit at South Dakota from 2017-22 and was named the 2022 Summit League Player of the Year after leading the Coyotes to their first NCAA Division I Sweet 16 appearance. She was the 2022 Summit League Tournament MVP and helped the Coyotes claim both the Summit League regular season and tournament titles. Lamb is a four-time All-Summit League selection and was a First-Team member in her final two seasons at South Dakota.
Last year, Lamb helped the University of Mary to an overall record of 22-11 and a 16-6 conference mark. The 22 overall wins were the most by the Marauders since they also had 22 wins in the 2019-20 season. The 16 conference wins were the most by the program since it totaled 17 in the 2004-05 season. The program went 36-24 overall and 28-16 in league play in the two years with Lamb on the staff.
At the end of her South Dakota career, Lamb was the school's career leader in games played (162), and she finished her career third in program history in scoring (1,884 points), second in 3-pointers (253) and seventh in steals (196). She was a member of four straight NCAA tournament teams.
Lamb earned Summit League Player of the Year honors in 2021-22 after averaging 15.8 points, 3.4 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.7 steals per game while starting all 35 games. She was also named to the All-Summit League First Team and the conference's all-defensive team. In the NCAA tournament, she led the Coyotes to wins against Ole Miss and Baylor on the opening weekend.
The Onida, S.D. native graduated from Sully Buttes High School after back-to-back South Dakota Class B championships in 2016 and 2017. She earned a degree in kinesiology and sport management - exercise science with a minor in coaching from South Dakota in 2022. Lamb was named to the College Sports Information Directors of America Academic All-District team in 2022 and earned Academic All-Summit League honors multiple times.