Jon Plefka has been named the 10th head coach of the UMass Lowell women’s basketball program, as announced by Director of Athletics Lynn Coutts on Friday. A veteran leader, Plefka most recently served as an assistant coach for the Stony Brook women’s basketball team.
“We are thrilled to welcome Jon Plefka to UMass Lowell,” said Coutts. “In addition to his impressive coaching credentials, Jon brings a deep commitment to academic excellence, integrity, and the holistic development of student-athletes. His values align perfectly with the mission of our department, and with his passion and drive, I know Coach Plefka will ignite a new era of success for our women’s basketball program.”
Plefka will be formally introduced to the media and community at a press conference on Monday, April 28 at 11 a.m.
“From the beginning of the search, our goal was to identify a high-character leader with a proven record of head coaching success — someone who would make a meaningful impact on our student-athletes and understand the unique landscape of the America East Conference,” added Coutts. “Jon Plefka exemplifies those qualities. He has delivered consistent results, demonstrated strong recruiting capabilities, and brings the experience and vision needed to elevate our program.”
During the 2024-25 season with the Seawolves, Plefka aided with duties both on and off the court, not only scouting opponents and developing players, including a pair of Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) All-Conference guards, but also serving as the team’s academic and external relations liaison.
“I am incredibly honored and excited to be named the head coach of UMass Lowell women’s basketball,” stated Plefka. “From the moment I connected with the administration and saw the passion they have for this university, I knew this was a special opportunity. I want to sincerely thank Lynn Coutts and the search committee for trusting me with this role and believing in my vision. I’m committed to building a culture of excellence, accountability and growth — on the court, in the classroom and in the community. I can’t wait to get to work with our student-athletes and represent River Hawk Nation with pride.”
Prior to Stony Brook, Plefka was a head women’s basketball coach at the Division II level for seven seasons. In the 2023-24 season at Auburn University at Montgomery (AUM), he led the Warhawks to their first home Gulf South Conference (GSC) postseason game and GSC semifinal appearance in program history after finishing the year with a program-best 20-10 (17-7 GSC) record. In addition to surpassing 100 career wins while at the helm, he also guided the program to its first-ever NCAA Division II South Regional Ranking and helped Allasha Dudley become AUM’s first player to be named to the All-GSC First Team.
The New Britain, Connecticut native previously spent six seasons as the head women’s basketball coach at Post University, compiling an 84-55 overall record. He helped the team to the 2023 Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) Championship title game and three North Division Regular-Season Championships, which were both firsts in program history at Post. Plefka ended his journey with the Eagles boasting a 69-33 (CACC) league record with the team that had just one winning season in 15 years before his arrival.
Before Plefka became the head coach of Post for the 2017-18 season, he served under two-time WNBA champion Taj McWilliams-Franklin as the assistant coach and recruiting coordinator for the Eagles in the 2016-17 season. He increased the win total by six games in his first season, eight victories to 14, then increased the win total to a program-record 22 wins in the 2019-20 season.
During his time with the Eagles, he recruited and coached five CACC All-Conference Team selections, including a CACC Rookie of the Year. In the classroom, his teams maintained a 3.0 cumulative GPA in each of his six seasons as head coach. Plefka was also a member of the inaugural Next Generation Institute of the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA).
No stranger to the big stage, Plefka played basketball at Texas Tech of the Big 12 and graduated cum laude in 2007 with a bachelor’s degree in human development and family studies.
Plefka, and his wife Elizabeth, who was born and raised in Harvard, Mass., welcomed twins Luka and Lola in September of 2024. Elizabeth was also a collegiate athlete, playing four years of basketball at Drexel University and Flagler College.
