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The all-time winningest coach in Lake Superior State University men's basketball program history, Steve Hettinga enters his 17th season at the helm in 2023-24. In addition to his coaching responsibilities, Hettinga was promoted to assistant director of athletics in August of 2014. 

Hettinga, who became the 13th head coach in LSSU’s 63-year men’s basketball history on July 1, 2007, has compiled a 267-184 coaching mark with the Lakers. Over his tenure, Hettinga has guided the Lakers to four NCAA Tournament appearances and his teams have won their first-round contest every time en route to producing a 4-4 NCAA Tournament record. 

A native of Three Oaks, Mich., Hettinga was named the 2013-14 and 2014-15 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Coach of the Year after guiding the Lakers to a school-record tying 27 wins in 2013-14 and a GLIAC regular-season title. He was also a finalist for the Clarence Gaines Award, which goes to the nation's top NCAA Division II men's basketball coach. The Lakers followed their historic 2013-14 season with a 26-7 record in 2014-15 and their second consecutive trip to the NCAA tournament.

In his most recent season, the Lakers finished with a 13-14 overall record, but they proved to be better than their record in GLIAC play, posting a mark of 12-6 within the conference on their way to a fourth place finish. Kemon Bassett and Caden Ebeling were each named to the All-GLIAC First Team while C.J. Robinson received his third-consecutive GLIAC All-Defensive Team honors.

The Lakers finished with a 16-11 record in the 2021-22 season. Malek Adams was named First Team All-GLIAC, marking the ninth consecutive season that a Laker has received first team honors. Kemon Bassett was also named Second Team All-GLIAC while CJ Robinson received GLIAC All-Defensive Team honors as well.

The Lakers posted an 8-11 record during the shortened 2020-21 season due to COVID-19 restrictions. Kemon Bassett was named to First Team All-GLIAC. Malek Adams was named Second Team All-GLIAC while C.J. Robinson earned GLIAC All-Defensive Team honors. 

The Lakers posted back-to-back fourth place finishes in the GLIAC standings during the 2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons. In 2018-19, Hettinga led the Lakers to a 15-12 overall record (11-9 GLIAC) as the team's season came to a close in the GLIAC Quarterfinals. Malek Adams was named First Team All-GLIAC while Rog Stein received Second Team All-GLIAC honors. The 2019-20 Lakers were led by senior Ke'Montrece Collins, who was named First Team All-Conference for his play. 

The 2017-18 season was memorable for Hettinga's Lakers as the team posted a 25-8 overall record, including a perfect 11-0 record in the Bud Cooper Gymnasium. With a 16-4 record in GLIAC play, the Lakers finished second in the North Division. The Lakers defeated Grand Valley and Michigan Tech in the GLIAC Quarterfinal and Semifinal before facing off against Ferris State in the title game. Lake Superior fell to Ferris in the championship game but still earned a spot in the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament. The Lakers defeated Hillsdale in the NCAA Midwest Regional Quarterfinals to advance to the Semifinals against Ferris State. LSSU's season came to a close followinf a loss to the Bulldogs. Williams closed out his career as a Laker with his third-straight All-GLIAC First Team honors, fourth-consecutive GLIAC All-Defensive Team recognition and a spot on the NABC All-District Team. Williams sits second among the Lakers all-time leading scorers with 2,010 points. Josh Goldschmidt was named to the GLIAC All-Defensive Team while Michael Nicholson was named to the All-GLIAC Second Team. 

Hettinga's 2016-17 squad finished the regular season tied for second place in the GLIAC North Division after playing to a 13-8 conference record. The team, which posted a 16-10 overall record during the season, fell to Ashland in the GLIAC Quarterfinals. Akaemji Williams was named to First Team All-GLIAC for the second straight season and to the GLIAC All-Defensive Team for the third consecutive year. Additionally, Williams was named to the All-Midwest Region First Team as well as the NABC All-District Second Team for his play. 

In 2015-16, the Lakers finished second in the GLIAC North Division with a 14-8 mark in conference play and a 19-10 overall record. Hettinga's team was led by the duo of Devin Daly and Akaemji Williams, who each were named First Team All-GLIAC. In addition, Williams was named to the GLIAC All-Defensive Team. Daly was also named to the D2CCA All-Midwest Regional First Team and the NABC All-Midwest Second Team. The team was honored as the United Way of the EUP's Community Partner of the Year. 

In 2014-15 the Lakers repeated as GLIAC regular-season champions after posting a 26-7 record and earned their second consecutive bid to the NCAA Tournament as an at-large team. That team featured All-GLIAC First Team members Alex Williams and Tony Harris as seniors. Harris also joined then-freshman Akaemji Williams as the Lakers' honorees on the All-GLIAC Defensive Team.

In 2013-14, Hettinga shattered LSSU's men's basketball career coaching wins record of 106 that was set by Jack Brighton (1963-70). The Lakers graduated All-GLIAC and All-Midwest Region First Team guard Derek Billing, who was a four-year starter, and All-GLIAC First Team center Cameron Metz. Billing was also a Capital One Academic All-America Second Team honoree and a two-time GLIAC Commissioner's Award winner. Billing finished fifth in career scoring and first in career three-point field goals at LSSU.

In 2012-13, LSSU won four of its last six games and reached the GLIAC Tournament finals for the second time in school history and the first time under Hettinga. Billing and All-GLIAC Second Team forward Derek Kinney led the team, which finished 16-13. Kinney became the first Laker since 2005 to total more than 650 career rebounds.

Three-time All-GLIAC Second Team guard Kyle Hunt led the Lakers through an 11-15 season in 2011-12. He scored 1,024 points and totaled 321 assists during his four seasons as a Laker, which included two winning seasons and one .500 finish (62-50 four-year mark).

In 2009-10, LSSU was led by four-year starting guards Scott Perkins and Garrett Konuszewski, who earned All-GLIAC First Team and GLIAC All-Defensive Team honors, respectively. Perkins earned the GLIAC Commissioner’s Award was one of 20 finalists from all sports and all divisions for the John Wooden Citizens Cup.

Led by All-Great Lakes Region First Team forward Tim VanOudheusden and All-GLIAC First Team center Ryan Kuhl, the 2008-09 Lakers won the GLIAC North Division title, finished 22-9 overall and earned the second NCAA Tournament berth in the program’s history. With an impressive inside/outside attack, LSSU led the nation in three-point field-goal percentage (.431) and was ranked fourth nationally in assist/turnover ratio (1.43).

In 2007-08, during Hettinga’s first season at LSSU, the Lakers recovered from an 0-7 start and went 12-9 the rest of the way to finish 12-16. The Lakers ended the regular season with four-straight wins, including conference road victories at Ferris State, Northern Michigan and Michigan Tech. LSSU advanced to the GLIAC Tournament for the first time since 2001 and reached the tournament semifinals for the first time since 1996.

After serving four seasons as an assistant coach at his alma mater, Olivet College, Hettinga became one of the nation’s youngest head coaches when he took over the Comets men’s basketball program in 1997. Olivet finished 5-20 during his first season in 1997-98, but posted back-to-back 15-10 records during the next two years for its first winning seasons since 1982.

Hettinga departed Olivet after 11 seasons and served as head coach of the IBL’s Grand Rapids Flight in 2004-05. The Flight were 15-5 during their inaugural season, and Hettinga was named IBL West Coach of the Year.

In 2006-07, Hettinga was head coach at MacMurray College, a Division III institution with an enrollment of 700 students located in Jacksonville, Ill. A team that finished seventh in the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference prior to his arrival, finished 14-4 for its best record in two decades and won the SLIAC title during his first season. Hettinga was named SLIAC Coach of the Year.

Hettinga, a 1993 graduate of Olivet, earned an M.A. in teaching from Olivet in 2003. He is a member of the National Association of Basketball Coaches and the Basketball Coaches Association of Michigan.

Hettinga's collegiate coaching career record currently stands at 349-277 following the 2020-21 season.

Coaching Honors

• Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Coach of the Year Award recipient, 2013-14 and 2014-15