In 1984 he took a longer term assistant position with the LSU Tigers baseball team under the legendary coach Skip Bertman.
As a result of the success at LSU, Laval was offered the head coaching position at nearby University of Louisiana at Monroe in 1993.
Laval became head coach of the Northeast Louisiana Indians (now the Louisiana–Monroe Warhawks) for the 1994 season.
As a result of this success he attracted the attention of LSU in the wake of Skip Bertman's impending retirement.
Bertman retired at the end of that season having won five national championships and Laval took over head coaching duties in 2002.
2004 saw the Tigers compile a 46–19 record and included a return trip to the College World Series.
LSU fans were not used to going winless in Omaha, leading to questions about Laval's ability to maintain the program's elite status.
He began feeling pressure from LSU fans and the athletic administration, and it was generally felt that 2006 would be a make-or-break season for him.