-
- Title:
- Head Coach
-
- Phone:
- 399-7700 ext 6213
-
- Email:
- CLacross@sf.edu
-
- Year:
- 14
Bio
Chad LaCross enters his 14th season as head coach of the Cougars. The 2016 Rawlings NAIA Division II Coach of the Year and one of 25 active NAIA coaches to win over 300 games has taken 10 USF teams to the NAIA National Tournament in his first thirteen seasons. He’s also the first USF coach to take three teams to the NAIA Championship title game and has been to 4-NAIA Final Fours.
LaCross, a 2001 Trine University graduate, directed USF to its first conference regular-season crown since 2000 in 2015-16 and the Cougars won their second conference tournament title under LaCross, who directed USF to the Mid-Central College Conference tournament championship in 2011.
LaCross is the All-Time Winningest Coach in USF History and is currently one of 25 active NAIA coaches in the county to have over 300 career wins and of thoes 25 coaches, he is 9th in winning percentage at 68.6%. LaCross is the fastest USF men’s basketball coach to 50 wins (2011-12), the fastest to 100 wins (2014-15), fastest to 200 wins (2017-18), and the only USF coach to eclipse 300 wins in program history.
After seven seasons as a USF assistant and associate head coach, the University of Saint Francis named LaCross as its sixth head men’s basketball coach in the program’s history. This follows seven successful seasons for LaCross as an assistant and associate head coach for the Cougars. LaCross, replaced Jeff Rekeweg, who with LaCross, led USF to the 2010 NAIA Division II National Championship as the 15th-seed.
LaCross was a three-time NAIA All-American at Tri-State University (now Trine University), where he holds the TSU career scoring record with 2,650 points. He was the 2000 and 2001 Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference Player of the Year and led the NAIA in scoring and was third in the county in rebounding at 12.1 rpg. In 33 games that season, LaCross scored 901 points for an average of 27.3 points per game, including a school-record 51 points against Indiana Tech in the WHAC Tournament.
After earning his degree in sports and recreation at TSU/TU, LaCross played professional basketball for the Dodge City Legend in the United States Basketball League in 2001, and for the Guamuchil Halcones in the Cibacopa league in Mexico in 2002. In September 2006, he became the youngest inductee into the TSU/TU Athletic Hall of Fame. LaCross received a master’s degree in physical education from Ball State University in 2007.
A 1997 East Noble High School graduate (Kendallville, Ind.), LaCross was a member of the 1997 Indiana All-Star Team. He was named MVP in the Journal-Gazette Nancy Rehm Border Wars Game. He scored 492 points his senior season at East Noble – the third-best single-season in Knights’ history. He finished with 892 career points, No. 10 on the ENHS career list.
LaCross resides in Fort Wayne with his wife Erin, daughters Ava and Mya, and son Bryce.
Chad LaCross Record at USF:
|
Seasons |
Overall |
CL/MCC |
|
Post Season |
|||
|
|
W |
L |
W |
L |
Finish |
CL |
NAIA |
|
1. 2010-11 |
28 |
10 |
10 |
6 |
3rd |
3-0 |
4-1 |
|
2. 2011-12 |
23 |
13 |
10 |
8 |
4th |
2-1 |
2-1 |
|
3. 2012-13 |
18 |
13 |
10 |
8 |
6th |
0-1 |
DNQ |
|
4. 2013-14 |
21 |
11 |
13 |
5 |
3rd |
0-1 |
0-1 |
|
5. 2014-15 |
27 |
8 |
14 |
4 |
2nd |
1-1 |
2-1 |
|
6. 2015-16 |
33 |
5 |
16 |
2 |
1st |
3-0 |
4-1 |
|
7. 2016-17 |
23 |
11 |
11 |
7 |
3rdT |
1-1 |
1-1 |
|
8. 2017-18 |
29 |
9 |
13 |
5 |
2nd |
2-1 |
4-1 |
|
9. 2018-19 |
16 |
15 |
9 |
9 |
6th |
0-1 |
DNQ |
|
10. 2019-20 |
21 |
11 |
9 |
9 |
5th |
0-1 |
1-0* |
|
11. 2020-21 |
27 |
9 |
9 |
7 |
4th |
2-1 |
3-1 |
|
12. 2021-22 |
24 |
9 |
13 |
5 |
4th |
0-1 |
1-1 |
|
13. 2022-23 |
14 |
15 |
7 |
11 |
7th |
0-1 |
DNQ |
|
Totals: |
304 |
139 |
144 |
86 |
|
14-11 |
22-9 |
Coaching Career:
College: Named USF head coach on May 4, 2010
Assistant Coach 5 years, Associate Head Coach 2 years at University of Saint Francis
Professional:
2001 -- Played for Dodge City Legend in United States Basketball League
2002 -- Played for Guamuchil Halcones, Cibacopa League, Mexico
College:
Tri-State University (Trine University)
College Head Coach: Dick Hack
Youngest inductee into TSU Hall of Fame, September 2006
Set TSU career scoring record with 2,650 points
3-Time NAIA All-American
2000 & 2001 Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference Player of the Year
2000-01 Led the NAIA in scoring at 27.3 ppg | 3rd in NAIA in rebounding 12.1 rpg
2000-01 averaged 27.3 ppg, scored 901 points in 33 games including school-record 51 against Indiana Tech in the conference tournament
High School:
High School: East Noble H.S., 1997
High School Head Coach: Marty Johnson
1997 Indiana All-Star
1997 MVP Nancy Rehm All-Star Game
1997 Wendy's All-Star Game Participant
Education:
High School: East Noble H.S., Kendallville, IN, 1997
College: Tri-State University, Angola, IN, 2001
B.S. in Sports and Recreation
M.S. in Physical Education, Ball State University, 2007
Personal:
Birthdate: March 25, 1979
Born in: Sturgis, MI
Wife: Erin
Children: Ava (daughter), Bryce (son), Mya (daughter).