McMaster University Athletics

Hometown: Lucan, Ont.
University: McMaster (Geography), Queens (Education)
High School: Medway High School
McMaster Experience: 9 seasons (2014-present)

Dan is a McMaster graduate who won three OUA men’s championships as a player. He has earned 31 caps as a prop for the Canadian senior men’s national team, including playing in the 2007. Dan captained the Ontario Blues provincial rugby team between 2009 and 2011 winning the Canadian Rugby Championship in 2011. He also played professionally with Le Pays D'Aix Rugby Club, Aix en Provence in France. Pletch currently works as a teacher and rugby coach at Dr. Frank Hayden Secondary School in Burlington.

He was named as the OUA Coach of the Year in his first season at the helm in 2014.

Marauders have earned 17 OUA All-Star nods, one Community Service Award and one Rookie of the Year Award under Pletch's watch to date. The team has won two OUA bronze medals and one Canadian University Men's Rugby Championship bronze during his tenure.

Season by Season:

2019: McMaster compiled a conference record of 4-2 and lost to Waterloo in the consolation match to place 8th in the OUA playoffs... Nathan Pinder was awarded the Mel & Marilyn Hawkrigg Male Rookie of the Year. 

2018: The Marauders compiled a 4-4 conference record and entered the OUA playoffs as the sixth seed ... McMaster was defeated 31-13 by Laurier in a quarterfinal in Waterloo ... Mitch Richardson was named as an OUA All-Star for the third consecutive season ... Richardson was a finalist for the Ivor Wynne Award for McMaster's male athlete of the year.

2017: McMaster finished with a 5-3 regular season record and the third seed in the OUA ... The Marauders defeated the Brock Badgers 68-12 in an OUA quarterfinal at Back 10 Field before losing 26-18 to Guelph in an OUA semifinal ... McMaster rebounded to beat Laurier 26-19 in the OUA bronze medal game at Back 10 Field ... McMaster earned a berth to the inaugural Canadian University Men's Rugby Championship ... The Marauders defeated Concordia 38-11 and Guelph 28-3 to win bronze at the CUMRC ... Connor Byrne, Will Kelly, Jack McRogers, Mitch Richardson and Mike Smith were named OUA All-Stars.

2016: The Marauders compiled a 6-2 regular season record to finish fourth in the OUA ... McMaster defeated Trent 15-5 in a quarterfinal at Back 10 Field ... The Marauders were beaten 31-8 by the Guelph Gryphons in a semifinal in Guelph ... McMaster rebounded to defeat the Western Mustangs 25-7 in the OUA bronze medal game in London ... Will Kelly, Mitch Richardson and Jamie Leveridge were named OUA All-Stars ... Will Kelly was named as the OUA Rookie of the Year.

2015: Duplicating their season of a year earlier, the Marauders finished with a 5-3 conference record to earn the fourth seed in the OUA ... McMaster defeated RMC 23-15 in an OUA quarterfinal at Back 10 Field ... The Marauders were beaten 47-15 in an OUA semifinal by the Gryphons in Guelph and lost out 31-17 to the Western Mustangs in the OUA bronze medal match in London ... Aaron Mabbott, Mitch Salisbury, Mitch Richardson and Jamie Leveridge were named as OUA All-Stars ... Ethan Sanders received the OUA Community Service Award.

2014: The Marauders finished conference play with a 5-3 record ... McMaster defeated Western 21-20 in an OUA quarterfinal in London to advance to the semifinals ... The Marauders were defeated 61-0 by the Queen's Gaels in an OUA semifinal in Kingston ... McMaster lost the OUA bronze medal match 19-12 to Brock ... Aaron Mabbott, Mitch Salisbury, Casey Bouk and Kieran Hurst were named OUA All-Stars ... Pletch was named as OUA Coach of the Year.

Career Record: