Jud Heathcote, who won Michigan State basketball's first national title as part of a 19-year career as head coach the school, passed away on Monday at age 90.
Heathcote died in Spokane, Washington, where he lived since he retired in 1995.
"The basketball world is a sadder place today with the passing of Jud Heathcote," Spartans coach Tom Izzo, an assistant under Heathcote for 12 years before succeeding him. "No one cared more about the welfare of the game than Jud. He was a coach's coach and a mentor to many.
"Our hearts are filled with sadness and deepest sympathy for his wife Beverly and the Heathcote family.