Soccer
Mark Plakorus
- Title:
- Head Coach
- Email:
- mark.plakorus@mso.umt.edu
- Phone:
- 243-6624
Mark Plakorus was the head coach at the University of Montana from 2011-17, leading the Grizzlies to six Big Sky Conference tournament appearances and three conference titles. During his seven seasons, Plakorus' teams went 65-56-24, with a Big Sky mark of 35-18-12.
Plakorus, the 2014 Big Sky Conference Coach of the Year, was just the third coach in the history of the Montana soccer program, following Betsy Duerksen (1994-2003) and Neil Sedgwick (2004-10).
Montana won the 2011 Big Sky tournament title in Plakorus’ first season, which sent the Grizzlies to their first NCAA tournament since 2000. They fell in a competitive match to eventual national champion Stanford, but the turnaround during Plakorus' first season was eminent. Montana went 3-12-3 in 2010, the year prior to Plakorus' arrival.
The Grizzlies claimed a share of the regular-season title in 2012 and lost in the tournament championship match in a shootout. They won the outright regular-season title in 2014 by going unbeaten (8-0-2) in 10 league matches and bringing the conference tournament back to Missoula.
In seven seasons under Plakorus, Montana had 26 first- or second-team All-Big Sky Conference selections. The team’s four first-team selections in 2014 were the most for the program since 2004.
In 2012 Lauren Costa was named the Big Sky Conference Defensive MVP, Erin Craig the co-Offensive MVP. In 2014 Brooke Moody was voted the co-Defensive MVP, Hallie Widner the Newcomer of the Year. Kailey Norman earned Goalkeeper of the Year honors in 2016 while Taryn Miller was named Defensive MVP in 2017.
Plakorus coached eight players to NSCAA/United Soccer Coaches All-Region honors.
Montana also excelled academically under Plakorus. The Grizzlies earned the National Soccer Coaches Association of America/United Soccer Coaches Team Academic Award each year under Plakorus and had 121 Academic All-Big Sky Conference selections. Its team GPA rose from 3.23 during his first season to 3.53 in 2016-17.
Montana’s 2011-17 successes at a glance:
2011 NSCAA Team Academic Award (3.23 GPA)
2012 NSCAA Team Academic Award (3.26 GPA)
2013 NSCAA Team Academic Award (3.43 GPA)
2014 NSCAA Team Academic Award (3.45 GPA)
2015 NSCAA Team Academic Award (3.49 GPA)
2016 NSCAA Team Academic Award (3.52 GPA)
2017 United Soccer Coaches Team Academic Award (3.53 GPA)
2011: 13 Academic All-Big Sky Conference selections
2012: 17 Academic All-Big Sky Conference selections
2013: 17 Academic All-Big Sky Conference selections
2014: 16 Academic All-Big Sky Conference selections
2015: 20 Academic All-Big Sky Conference selections
2016: 19 Academic All-Big Sky Conference selections
2017: 19 Academic All-Big Sky Conference selections
2012 NSCAA All-Pacific Region: Erin Craig (third team)
2013 NSCAA All-Pacific Region: Maddey Frey (third team)
2014 NSCAA All-Pacific Region: Tyler Adair, Brooke Moody, Hallie Widner (third team)
2016 NSCAA All-Pacific Region: Tess Brenneman (second team)
2017 United Soccer Coaches All-West Region: Janessa Fowler (third team), Taryn Miller (third team)
2012 NSCAA Scholar All-West Region: Lauren Costa (first team)
2013 NSCAA Scholar All-West Region: Maddey Frey (second team)
2014 NSCAA Scholar All-West Region: Brooke Moody (first team), Tyler Adair (second team), Mackenzie Akins (third team)
2016 NSCAA Scholar All-West Region: Tess Brenneman (first team), Kailey Norman (second team)
2017 United Soccer Coaches Scholar All-West Region: Taryn Miller (first team), Janessa Fowler (second team)
2012 Senior CLASS Award finalist: Lauren Costa
2014 Senior CLASS Award second-team All-American: Brooke Moody
2011 All- Big Sky Conference: 3 first team, 2 honorable mention
2012 All- Big Sky Conference: 2 first team, 1 second team, 6 honorable mention
2013 All-Big Sky Conference: 3 second team, 2 honorable mention
2014 All-Big Sky Conference: 4 first team, 3 second team, 3 honorable mention
2015 All-Big Sky Conference: 1 first team, 2 second team, 1 honorable mention
2016 All-Big Sky Conference: 2 first team, 2 second team
2017 All-Big Sky Conference: 1 first team, 2 second team, 2 honorable mention
2012 Big Sky Conference individual awards: Lauren Costa (Defensive MVP), Erin Craig (co-Offensive MVP)
2014 Big Sky Conference individual awards: Brooke Moody (co-Defensive MVP), Hallie Widner (Newcomer of the Year)
2016 Big Sky Conference individual awards: Kailey Norman (Goalkeeper of the Year)
2017 Big Sky Conference individual awards: Taryn Miller (Defensive MVP)
2011 Big Sky Conference Offensive Players of the Week: 3
2012 Big Sky Conference Offensive/Defensive Players of the Week: 2/3
2013 Big Sky Conference Offensive/Defensive Players of the Week: 2/2
2014 Big Sky Conference Offensive/Defensive Players of the Week: 2/3
2015 Big Sky Conference Defensive Players of the Week: 2
2016 Big Sky Conference Offensive/Defensive Players of the Week: 1/1
2017 Big Sky Conference Offensive/Defensive Players of the Week: 1/1
2011 Big Sky Conference All-Tournament team: 5 (including MVP India Watne)
2012 Big Sky Conference All-Tournament team: 4
2014 Big Sky Conference All-Tournament team: 2
2015 Big Sky Conference All-Tournament team: 2
2016 Big Sky Conference All-Tournament team: 1
2017 Big Sky Conference All-Tournament team: 2
2011-17 Team Highlights:
2011: Made first Big Sky Conference tournament since 2008 ... Won first Big Sky Conference tournament championship since 2000 ... Advanced to first NCAA tournament since 2000 ... Doubled wins total from three (in 2010) to six ... More than tripled goal output from eight (in 2010) to 27.
2012: Won first Big Sky Conference regular-season championship since 2000 ... Made first back-to-back Big Sky Conference tournament appearances since 2003-04 ... Finished season on eight-match unbeaten streak.
2013: Finished one game below .500 and missed the conference tournament, but was the Big Sky’s hottest team late in the season, winning three of its last four and four of its last six matches.
2014: Won first outright Big Sky Conference regular-season championship since 2000 ... Went unbeaten through the 10-match league schedule, finishing 8-0-2 ... Hosted the Big Sky Conference tournament for the first time since 2000 ... Most goals scored (32) since 2000 ... Went unbeaten from Sept. 21 through Nov. 7.
2015: Advanced to Big Sky Conference tournament for fourth time in five years ... Won a tournament match for second time under Plakorus and only second time since 2004 ... Reached 25 goals for fifth straight year, a total reached only once in previous 10 years ... Picked up home win over Iowa.
2016: Advanced to Big Sky Conference tournament for fifth time in six years ... Achieved first regional ranking under Plakorus, reaching as high as ninth in NSCAA Pacific Region ... Opened the season 3-0-1, the best four-match start in program history ... Allowed a Big Sky-low 17 goals and had a league-leading nine shutouts ... Fewest goals allowed by a Montana team since 2001 ... Won at Purdue.
2017: Earned the No. 2 seed and a first-round bye in the Big Sky Conference tournament... Was regionally ranked by the United Soccer Coaches for the second consecutive season... Ranked 32nd out of 332 NCAA Division I teams with just 0.76 goals allowed per game (second-best average in school history)... Finished unbeaten at home (6-0-2)... Faced five Power-5 programs, allowing just four combined goals, including a result vs. regionally ranked Washington State.
Prior to Montana
Plakorus spent three seasons (1999-2001) at Air Force, two at Iowa (2002-03) and one at Tulsa (2004) before joining the TCU staff. He finished his sixth season with the Horned Frogs in 2010 before joining the Grizzlies.
TCU had had four straight losing seasons prior to the arrival of head coach Dan Abdalla and Plakorus in 2005. By 2008 the Horned Frogs were 14-4-2, had become a nationally ranked program and had set a program record with 47 goals in 20 matches, making TCU the 18th most prolific offense in the nation.
Plakorus, who spent 11 years in the Air Force, has ties to Montana that date back nearly two decades.
He was stationed at Malmstrom Air Force Base in Great Falls from 1994 to 1999 and has been one of the directors of the Flathead Soccer Camp in Kalispell since 1998.
In addition to his Air Force duties at Malmstrom, Plakorus became the director of coaching and player development for the Electric City Soccer Club, started the boys’ soccer program at Great Falls High School and rose to the role of director of the Montana girls’ Olympic Development Program.
In those roles, Plakorus saw a number of his former players go on to play for the Grizzlies, who at the time were being coached by Duerksen.
Plakorus graduated from Kansas in 1990 with a degree in computer science. He played club soccer at KU and was a member of the ROTC. He added a master’s degree in sport administration from Western Kentucky in 2012.
Montana year-by-year under Plakorus
2011 ... 6-12-4, 3-3-1 BSC (4th) ... Big Sky Conference tournament champions, NCAA tournament
2012 ... 12-6-3, 6-2-1 BSC (t-1st) ... Big Sky Conference regular-season co-champions
2013 ... 7-8-4, 3-5-1 BSC (t-6th)
2014 ... 12-6-2, 8-0-2 BSC (1st) ... Big Sky Conference regular-season champions
2015 ... 9-11-2, 5-4-1 BSC (5th) ... Big Sky Conference tournament semifinalist
2016 ... 9-6-5, 5-2-3 (t-3rd) ... Big Sky Conference tournament quarterfinalist
2017 ... 10-7-4, 5-2-3 (2nd) ... Big Sky Conference tournament semifinalist
Totals: 65-56-24, 35-18-12 BSC
Plakorus’s coaching resume
1999-2001: Assistant coach, Air Force
2002-03: Assistant coach, Iowa
2004: Assistant coach, Tulsa
2005-10: Assistant/associate head coach, TCU
2011-17: Head coach, Montana
Plakorus, the 2014 Big Sky Conference Coach of the Year, was just the third coach in the history of the Montana soccer program, following Betsy Duerksen (1994-2003) and Neil Sedgwick (2004-10).
Montana won the 2011 Big Sky tournament title in Plakorus’ first season, which sent the Grizzlies to their first NCAA tournament since 2000. They fell in a competitive match to eventual national champion Stanford, but the turnaround during Plakorus' first season was eminent. Montana went 3-12-3 in 2010, the year prior to Plakorus' arrival.
The Grizzlies claimed a share of the regular-season title in 2012 and lost in the tournament championship match in a shootout. They won the outright regular-season title in 2014 by going unbeaten (8-0-2) in 10 league matches and bringing the conference tournament back to Missoula.
In seven seasons under Plakorus, Montana had 26 first- or second-team All-Big Sky Conference selections. The team’s four first-team selections in 2014 were the most for the program since 2004.
In 2012 Lauren Costa was named the Big Sky Conference Defensive MVP, Erin Craig the co-Offensive MVP. In 2014 Brooke Moody was voted the co-Defensive MVP, Hallie Widner the Newcomer of the Year. Kailey Norman earned Goalkeeper of the Year honors in 2016 while Taryn Miller was named Defensive MVP in 2017.
Plakorus coached eight players to NSCAA/United Soccer Coaches All-Region honors.
Montana also excelled academically under Plakorus. The Grizzlies earned the National Soccer Coaches Association of America/United Soccer Coaches Team Academic Award each year under Plakorus and had 121 Academic All-Big Sky Conference selections. Its team GPA rose from 3.23 during his first season to 3.53 in 2016-17.
Montana’s 2011-17 successes at a glance:
2011 NSCAA Team Academic Award (3.23 GPA)
2012 NSCAA Team Academic Award (3.26 GPA)
2013 NSCAA Team Academic Award (3.43 GPA)
2014 NSCAA Team Academic Award (3.45 GPA)
2015 NSCAA Team Academic Award (3.49 GPA)
2016 NSCAA Team Academic Award (3.52 GPA)
2017 United Soccer Coaches Team Academic Award (3.53 GPA)
2011: 13 Academic All-Big Sky Conference selections
2012: 17 Academic All-Big Sky Conference selections
2013: 17 Academic All-Big Sky Conference selections
2014: 16 Academic All-Big Sky Conference selections
2015: 20 Academic All-Big Sky Conference selections
2016: 19 Academic All-Big Sky Conference selections
2017: 19 Academic All-Big Sky Conference selections
2012 NSCAA All-Pacific Region: Erin Craig (third team)
2013 NSCAA All-Pacific Region: Maddey Frey (third team)
2014 NSCAA All-Pacific Region: Tyler Adair, Brooke Moody, Hallie Widner (third team)
2016 NSCAA All-Pacific Region: Tess Brenneman (second team)
2017 United Soccer Coaches All-West Region: Janessa Fowler (third team), Taryn Miller (third team)
2012 NSCAA Scholar All-West Region: Lauren Costa (first team)
2013 NSCAA Scholar All-West Region: Maddey Frey (second team)
2014 NSCAA Scholar All-West Region: Brooke Moody (first team), Tyler Adair (second team), Mackenzie Akins (third team)
2016 NSCAA Scholar All-West Region: Tess Brenneman (first team), Kailey Norman (second team)
2017 United Soccer Coaches Scholar All-West Region: Taryn Miller (first team), Janessa Fowler (second team)
2012 Senior CLASS Award finalist: Lauren Costa
2014 Senior CLASS Award second-team All-American: Brooke Moody
2011 All- Big Sky Conference: 3 first team, 2 honorable mention
2012 All- Big Sky Conference: 2 first team, 1 second team, 6 honorable mention
2013 All-Big Sky Conference: 3 second team, 2 honorable mention
2014 All-Big Sky Conference: 4 first team, 3 second team, 3 honorable mention
2015 All-Big Sky Conference: 1 first team, 2 second team, 1 honorable mention
2016 All-Big Sky Conference: 2 first team, 2 second team
2017 All-Big Sky Conference: 1 first team, 2 second team, 2 honorable mention
2012 Big Sky Conference individual awards: Lauren Costa (Defensive MVP), Erin Craig (co-Offensive MVP)
2014 Big Sky Conference individual awards: Brooke Moody (co-Defensive MVP), Hallie Widner (Newcomer of the Year)
2016 Big Sky Conference individual awards: Kailey Norman (Goalkeeper of the Year)
2017 Big Sky Conference individual awards: Taryn Miller (Defensive MVP)
2011 Big Sky Conference Offensive Players of the Week: 3
2012 Big Sky Conference Offensive/Defensive Players of the Week: 2/3
2013 Big Sky Conference Offensive/Defensive Players of the Week: 2/2
2014 Big Sky Conference Offensive/Defensive Players of the Week: 2/3
2015 Big Sky Conference Defensive Players of the Week: 2
2016 Big Sky Conference Offensive/Defensive Players of the Week: 1/1
2017 Big Sky Conference Offensive/Defensive Players of the Week: 1/1
2011 Big Sky Conference All-Tournament team: 5 (including MVP India Watne)
2012 Big Sky Conference All-Tournament team: 4
2014 Big Sky Conference All-Tournament team: 2
2015 Big Sky Conference All-Tournament team: 2
2016 Big Sky Conference All-Tournament team: 1
2017 Big Sky Conference All-Tournament team: 2
2011-17 Team Highlights:
2011: Made first Big Sky Conference tournament since 2008 ... Won first Big Sky Conference tournament championship since 2000 ... Advanced to first NCAA tournament since 2000 ... Doubled wins total from three (in 2010) to six ... More than tripled goal output from eight (in 2010) to 27.
2012: Won first Big Sky Conference regular-season championship since 2000 ... Made first back-to-back Big Sky Conference tournament appearances since 2003-04 ... Finished season on eight-match unbeaten streak.
2013: Finished one game below .500 and missed the conference tournament, but was the Big Sky’s hottest team late in the season, winning three of its last four and four of its last six matches.
2014: Won first outright Big Sky Conference regular-season championship since 2000 ... Went unbeaten through the 10-match league schedule, finishing 8-0-2 ... Hosted the Big Sky Conference tournament for the first time since 2000 ... Most goals scored (32) since 2000 ... Went unbeaten from Sept. 21 through Nov. 7.
2015: Advanced to Big Sky Conference tournament for fourth time in five years ... Won a tournament match for second time under Plakorus and only second time since 2004 ... Reached 25 goals for fifth straight year, a total reached only once in previous 10 years ... Picked up home win over Iowa.
2016: Advanced to Big Sky Conference tournament for fifth time in six years ... Achieved first regional ranking under Plakorus, reaching as high as ninth in NSCAA Pacific Region ... Opened the season 3-0-1, the best four-match start in program history ... Allowed a Big Sky-low 17 goals and had a league-leading nine shutouts ... Fewest goals allowed by a Montana team since 2001 ... Won at Purdue.
2017: Earned the No. 2 seed and a first-round bye in the Big Sky Conference tournament... Was regionally ranked by the United Soccer Coaches for the second consecutive season... Ranked 32nd out of 332 NCAA Division I teams with just 0.76 goals allowed per game (second-best average in school history)... Finished unbeaten at home (6-0-2)... Faced five Power-5 programs, allowing just four combined goals, including a result vs. regionally ranked Washington State.
Prior to Montana
Plakorus spent three seasons (1999-2001) at Air Force, two at Iowa (2002-03) and one at Tulsa (2004) before joining the TCU staff. He finished his sixth season with the Horned Frogs in 2010 before joining the Grizzlies.
TCU had had four straight losing seasons prior to the arrival of head coach Dan Abdalla and Plakorus in 2005. By 2008 the Horned Frogs were 14-4-2, had become a nationally ranked program and had set a program record with 47 goals in 20 matches, making TCU the 18th most prolific offense in the nation.
Plakorus, who spent 11 years in the Air Force, has ties to Montana that date back nearly two decades.
He was stationed at Malmstrom Air Force Base in Great Falls from 1994 to 1999 and has been one of the directors of the Flathead Soccer Camp in Kalispell since 1998.
In addition to his Air Force duties at Malmstrom, Plakorus became the director of coaching and player development for the Electric City Soccer Club, started the boys’ soccer program at Great Falls High School and rose to the role of director of the Montana girls’ Olympic Development Program.
In those roles, Plakorus saw a number of his former players go on to play for the Grizzlies, who at the time were being coached by Duerksen.
Plakorus graduated from Kansas in 1990 with a degree in computer science. He played club soccer at KU and was a member of the ROTC. He added a master’s degree in sport administration from Western Kentucky in 2012.
Montana year-by-year under Plakorus
2011 ... 6-12-4, 3-3-1 BSC (4th) ... Big Sky Conference tournament champions, NCAA tournament
2012 ... 12-6-3, 6-2-1 BSC (t-1st) ... Big Sky Conference regular-season co-champions
2013 ... 7-8-4, 3-5-1 BSC (t-6th)
2014 ... 12-6-2, 8-0-2 BSC (1st) ... Big Sky Conference regular-season champions
2015 ... 9-11-2, 5-4-1 BSC (5th) ... Big Sky Conference tournament semifinalist
2016 ... 9-6-5, 5-2-3 (t-3rd) ... Big Sky Conference tournament quarterfinalist
2017 ... 10-7-4, 5-2-3 (2nd) ... Big Sky Conference tournament semifinalist
Totals: 65-56-24, 35-18-12 BSC
Plakorus’s coaching resume
1999-2001: Assistant coach, Air Force
2002-03: Assistant coach, Iowa
2004: Assistant coach, Tulsa
2005-10: Assistant/associate head coach, TCU
2011-17: Head coach, Montana
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