The University of Michigan athletic department earlier this month announced its eight-member 2026 Hall of Honor class, which includes Bev Plocki (women’s gymnastics). Plocki, a Butler high school graduate (Class of 1982) as Bev Fry, turned Michigan women’s gymnastics into a national powerhouse during her 36-year tenure as the head coach, winning the program’s first national title in 2021. She led the Wolverines to 26 Big Ten championships. The Hall of Honor induction ceremony will be held on September 11th. The eight inductees also will also be honored on September 12th during the Wolverines football game against Oklahoma.
After becoming a gymnastics standout at Butler, Bev began her collegiate career at Alabama, where she became an All-American in the balance beam. She moved on to West Virginia and began her coaching career there as a grad assistant while pursuing a Master’s degree. She took over the Michigan program at the age of 23 after the Wolverines had gone winless the year before. Plocki went on to become an 11-time Big Ten Coach of the Year, a 13-time NCAA Regional Coach of the Year and a two-time National Coach of the Year.
She is a past inductee into the Butler County Sports Hall of Fame.