When Chuck LaVetter was inducted into the Pima County Sports Hall of Fame 12 years ago, he told me that his "lasting memory" in basketball wasn't any of the 550 or so winning games he coached at Eastern Arizona College, but losing to Phoenix Union High School in the 1960 state championship game.
Even though LaVetter scored 10 points that night at ASU, the Tucson High Badgers lost 74-50, and the feeling of finishing second in the biggest game of his playing career stuck with him for more than 50 years.
LaVetter died last week at age 84. He left behind a legacy of success. Not only did he coach at EAC from 1966-2001, winning 550 games, he played two years on the UA varsity (he scored 17 points) and later helped Cedric Dempsey coach the UA freshman basketball team. He was a member of the all-city basketball team of 1960 that included such standouts as Charlie Cook, Dan Breck and Bud Doolen.
LaVetter was part of one of Tucson's leading basketball families. His brother, Roland LaVetter, coached Pueblo High School to state championships in 1977 and 1978, and his nephew, Lance LaVetter, now athletic director at Rio Rico High School, has coached basketball teams at Washington, St. Louis, New Mexico State and San Diego.
