Maine, 1989 • Seventh Season Mike LaPlante is continuing to set new standards in JSU’s Division I era as he begins his seventh season and leads the Gamecocks into their fourth season in the tradition-rich Ohio Valley Conference.
The school’s ninth head coach and third since joining the Division I ranks, LaPlante and his Gamecocks are coming off of a 2005-06 campaign that saw the biggest turnaround in Division I basketball and resulted in a first-round home game in the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament and a trip to the league’s final four in Nashville, Tenn.
In his first year at JSU, he recorded the most wins for a first-year coach. In his second season, LaPlante guided the Gamecocks to the school’s first-ever conference tournament victory, a thrilling 64-59 win over Troy State, and the 20-win plateau for the first time in almost a decade in his third season. In 2003-04, he helped the Gamecocks to a tie for fifth place and made his fourth straight post-season appearance. In 2005-06, his team led the OVC and finished in the top 35 nationally in scoring offense, while also ranking in the top 45 in field goal percentage, 3-point percentage and 3-poiners per game, to finish fourth in the OVC and host the first round of the tournament.
If LaPlante’s past is any indication of the future, those accomplishments are just the beginning of record setting success in store for the Jacksonville State University basketball program.
LaPlante not only brings a big bank of knowledge and experience to Jacksonville State, but a wealth of good old-fashioned commitment to hard work and positive enthusiasm in teaching young people how to be successful in basketball, in the classroom, and in life. And, to top off a great attitude and great approach to operating an intercollegiate program, Coach LaPlante is committed to a high-energy, exciting brand of basketball.
LaPlante, 40, has quickly established himself as one of the bright young head coaches in the country. Known as an excellent recruiter while an assistant, LaPlante has continued his trademark by attracting outstanding student-athletes to JSU. A solid foundation has been laid in which to build future success. In short, LaPlante recruits very good players, develops their skills and graduates his student-athletes.
LaPlante came to JSU and took over a program that had fought through four losing seasons in five years. After two years of building, the Gamecocks went 20-10 in 2002-03, the winningest season in the school’s Division I history, and have posted winning records at season’s end in all but one year since. He has guided his teams to postseason play in five of his six seasons at JSU.
He has also molded young men out of his players and, most importantly, sent them out with college degrees. Since coming to JSU, 23 of his 26 seniors have earned their degrees from JSU.
Before becoming the ninth head coach in JSU’s storied basketball history, LaPlante honed his coaching abilities while serving assistantships at Auburn University, the University of Maine and Yale University. While at all three Universities, LaPlante played a vital role in each of the school’s experience of record setting seasons and unprecedented success.
During Coach LaPlante’s four years at Auburn, the Tigers racked up 85 wins; the most victories ever for a four-year span in the history of Auburn University basketball. In the 1998-99 season, Auburn won the Southeastern Conference Championship, earned the top seed in the NCAA Tournament, advanced to the Sweet 16, and completed the season with 29 wins (most victories ever in an Auburn basketball season).
The lifeblood of any solid program over a period of time is the recruiting of good players, good students and good people. During Coach LaPlante’s years at Auburn, the Tigers registered four recruiting classes that were rated nationally top 20 or higher. Coach LaPlante helped recruit and/or develop Mamadou N’Diaye (1st round draft choice of the Denver Nuggets), Chris Porter (2nd round draft choice of the Golden State Warriors), Jamison Brewer (2nd round draft choice of the Indianapolis Pacers) Pat Burke (Orlando Magic) and Adam Harrington (Dallas Mavericks). Coach LaPlante first discovered N’Diaye while serving in 1994-95 as a consultant to the Republic of Senegal National Basketball Team.
While at Maine, his alma mater, Coach LaPlante helped establish the Black Bears as a championship contender. New standards were set when the basketball program won a school-record 20 games for the first time in school history.
In his first year at Yale, the Bulldogs set a school record for most Division I wins (18) in a season while taking Princeton to the wire for the Ivy League Championship.
Throughout his career, LaPlante has proven himself to be an innovative and creative promoter of basketball. He was ahead of the international curve, serving as a consultant to the Senegalese National Basketball Foundation, assisting with camps and clinics, and developing strong international recruiting ties.
Winning and Championships have always been a part of programs LaPlante is associated with. In 1985, LaPlante led Suffield Academy to a New England Prep School Championship as a post-grad before attending the University of Maine, where he lettered for four years from 1985-89.
A native of Holyoke, Massachusetts, LaPlante resides in Jacksonville and is married to the former Leslie Henson. He is the father of four children: Courtney (17), Jackson (15), McCormick (11) and Kaylee (1).
