William S. LaRochelle
| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born | March 3, 1927 Methuen, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Died | May 7, 2012 (aged 85) Thousand Oaks, California |
| Alma mater | Boston University Bates College |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1958–1970 | Merrimack College |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 153-116(.569) |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Championships | |
| |
| Awards | |
| North Andover sports hall of fame | |
William LaRochelle was an American college basketball coach for Merrimack College.
Early life
LaRochelle was born in Methuen Massachusetts, he attended Bates College and got a masters degree at Boston University. He then served in the U.S. Navy during World War II.[1]
Coaching career
After his service during the Second World War, LaRochelle began coaching the North Andover high school basketball team, which he led to the 1958 Massachusetts Class C State Championship. He was subsequently offered the head coaching position at Merrimack College.[2]
In his first season as coach (1958–59), the program finished with 12 wins against 11 losses. This marked Merrimack College’s first-ever winning season.[3] During the 1966–67 season, he led the Warriors to a school-record 17 wins and recorded his 100th victory as coach, becoming the first in program history to achieve this milestone. The 1969–70 season was his final at Merrimack.
In his 12 years at Merrimack, LaRochelle led the Warriors to nine winning seasons, with an overall record of 153–116.[4] He held the Merrimack record for most coaching wins for 20 years until he was eventually surpassed by Bert Hammel during the 1990–91 season.
Later life
La Rochelle moved to California in 1983 and was involved in the local music scene and served as a golf instructor.[1] He died on May 7, 2012 and survived by 3 of his 5 children and multiple grandchildren and grandchildren.[5] He was later be inducted into the North Andover Sports Hall of Fame.[6] [7]
Head coaching record
| Team | Year | Wins | Loss | Postseason |
| Merrimack Warriors | 1958-59 | 12 | 11 | |
| Merrimack Warriors | 1959-60 | 11 | 11 | |
| Merrimack Warriors | 1960-61 | 15 | 11 | |
| Merrimack Warriors | 1961-62 | 12 | 9 | |
| Merrimack Warriors | 1962-63 | 14 | 9 | |
| Merrimack Warriors | 1963-64 | 13 | 7 | |
| Merrimack Warriors | 1964-65 | 14 | 6 | |
| Merrimack Warriors | 1965-66 | 7 | 15 | |
| Merrimack Warriors | 1966-67 | 17 | 6 | |
| Merrimack Warriors | 1967-68 | 14 | 11 | |
| Merrimack Warriors | 1968-69 | 11 | 11 | |
| Merrimack Warriors | 1969-70 | 12 | 10 | |
| Total | 153 | 116 |
Note* Merrimack was not in a conference during this time
References
- ^ a b "William S. LaRochelle Obituary | 2025 - 1927 | The Eagle Tribune". obituaries.eagletribune.com. Retrieved September 22, 2025.
- ^ Merrimack basketball coach database https://www.coachesdatabase.com/merrimack-warriors-basketball/
- ^ LaRochelle and Merrimacks first winning season Concord Monitor newspaper https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/835175807/
- ^ Merrimack basketball season archives https://merrimackathletics.com/sports/2017/7/27/archives-mens-basketball.aspx
- ^ "William LaRochelle Obituary (1927 - 2012) - Simi Valley, CA - Ventura County Star". Legacy.com. Retrieved August 31, 2025.
- ^ William LaRochelle obituary https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/venturacountystar/name/william-larochelle-obituary?id=10237651
- ^ LaRochelle biography in the Ventura County Star news paper https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/778279199/