LaVetter enters his fifth year with the Toreros, serving as the team's director of basketball operation for four seasons as well as an assistant coach in 2020-21.
LaVetter has nearly 30 years of coaching staff experience in college basketball, and more than 20 years of it on the west coast. In his career, the Tucson, Ariz. native has been with nine teams that made it to the NCAA Tournament.
Prior to USD, LaVetter spent 15 years in the Pacific Northwest, including three years as an assistant coach with Seattle (2015-17) and 12 years at Washington (2003-14). With the Huskies, working under head coach Lorenzo Romar, he was the team's director of operations, assisting with team travel, game operations, community outreach projects, youth programs, and alumni relations. He also directed the Lorenzo Romar Basketball Camps and has extensive experience as a summer camp director and instructor.
LaVetter, along with Romar and former Seattle head coach Cameron Dollar, arrived at Washington from Saint Louis (2000-02), where he spent three years on the coaching staff.
After graduating from Northern Arizona in 1992, LaVetter got his start in collegiate coaching with New Mexico State in 1995. For three seasons, he was an assistant coach and helped lead the Aggies to the Big West conference championship in 1996. After New Mexico State, LaVetter was an assistant coach for Portland's women's basketball team from 1995 to 1999. The Pilots reached the WNIT in 1999.
LaVetter received his bachelor's degree in education, specializing in social sciences, from Northern Arizona. He was a one-year letterman in basketball for the Lumberjacks.
LaVetter was a multi-sport athlete at Rincon High School in Tucson and graduated in 1986 after earning all-state honors in baseball and all-metro honors in basketball. He also was an honorable mention all-state selection in basketball and a letterman in football. He continued his basketball career at Pima Community College where he earned an Associate of Arts degree in education.
Lance and his wife, Michelle, have a daughter, Delaney Morgan.
