Fred LaPlante (Michigan)

Fred LaPlante

Position:
Head Coach

Experience:
Second Year

Fred LaPlante enters his second season as head coach for the Michigan men's track and field team. Prior to being named the head coach in 2008, he spent the previous 11 seasons as the associate head coach with the program. LaPlante's main focus has been the development of the Wolverine sprint and hurdle athletes.

The U-M sprints and hurdles corps enjoyed tremendous success in 2008. In all the sprinters won six Big Ten sprint titles and had All-Americans in the 60-meters (Adam Harris) and the 4x400-meter relay (Andre Barnes, Andrew Wechter, Dan Harmsen and Stann Waithe). For his work with the group LaPlante was named the 2008 NCAA Great Lakes Regional Assistant Coach of the Year.

"Fred is a storyteller," said former U-M hurdler Jeff Porter. "He has a story for each and every situation that could possibly occur in track and field. If you're ever down, Fred will always have a story to get you laughing, relaxed and in the mood to work."

Equally impressive as his coaching accomplishments is LaPlante's ability to seek out recruits who can contribute to the university both as athletes and as individuals. With overall team balance a prerequisite for Big Ten success, LaPlante has nabbed a series of highly touted and nationally rated athletes in both sprints and hurdles.

Upon his arrival in 1997, LaPlante's impact on the Michigan program was immediate as senior protégé Brian Theisen went from a non-scorer at the Big Ten Conference Championships as a junior to a conference champion and NCAA 110-meter hurdles qualifier in 1998. Later, LaPlante coached Ike Okenwa to school records in the 100-meter indoor and 200-meter outdoor events. In addition, the sprint and relay squads have made significant improvements since LaPlante's arrival.

"Fred is the most strategic coach I've ever worked with," said Okenwa. "He has amazing attention to detail, and he won't just tell you what to do, he will tell you why you should be doing it. He just breaks down everything to really get the most out of the athletes he coaches."

LaPlante has amassed 32 years of coaching experience. He began his coaching career as an assistant at Columbia University (1977-78) before earning his first head coach position as the head coach of the women's cross country and track and field program at San Diego State University, where he coached from 1978-83.

While at San Diego State LaPlante's teams were ranked in the top 10 nationally for five consecutive years and they compiled a 25-1 dual meet record. In his five years, LaPlante led the Aztecs to their first WCAA track title, he coached All-Americans in eight events and his athletes broke national collegiate records in three different events.

After his success at San Diego State, LaPlante moved on to USC where he was the women's head coach for both cross country and track and field from 1983-88. LaPlante developed one of the nation's best women's track programs in the nation during his five years at USC, compiling three NCAA top-four finishes and a dominating 27-2 dual meet record. LaPlante again found a way to get the most from his athletes, as he coached All-Americans in eight events and two separate athletes who each broke the national collegiate record in the triple jump. LaPlante also exhibited a skill for recruiting as he signed the No. 1 high school athlete of the year three consecutive years.

After 10 successful years as a women's head coach, LaPlante slid over to the men's side when he became the assistant coach for men's track and field at Eastern Michigan, a post he held from 1988-92. While at EMU, LaPlante coached the sprints, hurdles, relays and jumps. The team won four consecutive MAC titles during LaPlante's tenure and he coached All-Americans in four different events.

In 1992, LaPlante returned to the head coach role as he took over Lehigh University's men's and women's track programs (1992-97). LaPlante led the women to their first ever Patriot League title in cross country and he lifted the men to second-place finishes in the Patriot League in both cross country and track, the highest finishes in team history to that point. LaPlante's athletes also won individual league titles in nine events and a relay title in the 4x100-meter relay.

Over his 32 seasons, LaPlante has contributed to 17 athletes earning Olympic berths and has coached 25 national champions and 77 All-Americans. His head coaching success includes track and field teams that finished as high as second at the NCAA Indoor meet, third at the NCAA Outdoor meet and seventh at the NCAA Cross Country Championship.

A three-time NCAA District Coach of the Year, LaPlante has earned four USA national coaching assignments and has served as the meet director for several major cross country and track and field events, including the 1993 NCAA Cross Country Championship.

A Toledo, Ohio, native and 1972 graduate of Eastern Michigan University, LaPlante was a 1972 NCAA College Division 1500-meters All-American, helping Eastern Michigan to the 1972 NCAA College Division national title. He was a member of the EMU distance medley relay team that won the 1972 Drake Relays title.

LaPlante was inducted into the (Toledo) Bowsher High School Hall of Fame. He resides in Ann Arbor with his wife, Nancy.

Coaching Record

College Coaching Experience
Michigan, Head Coach 2008-present
Michigan, associate head coach 1996-2007
Lehigh, men's and women's head coach 1992-96
Eastern Michigan, assistant coach 1988-92
Southern California, women's head coach 1983-88
San Diego State, head women's coach 1979-83
Columbia University, assistant coach 1977-78


Coaching Honors & Awards

Has coached 17 Olympians
Has coached 25 national individual champions, three relays
Has coached 77 All-Americans
Four USA national coaching assignments
Three-time NCAA District Coach of the Year

Courtesy Michigan