As an assistant to Rudy Keeling at the University of Maine, LaPlante quickly established himself as an excellent recruiter and on the floor coach. During his tenure at Maine the Black Bears set school records for most wins in a season (20), reaching the 20 win plateau for the first time in school history. It was during this time that LaPlante established a relationship with the Senegalese Basketball Federation as a consultant that has led to his strong connection with that country's basketball development.