EAST LANSING – Iconic basketball coach Jud Heathcote, who led Michigan State to its first national championship in 1979, has died, Michigan State announced tonight.
Heathcote, who was 90, has lived in Spokane, Wash., since he retired and turned the reins over to his self-named protegee, Tom Izzo, in 1995.
“Michigan State has lost one of its icons today,” Izzo said in a statement. “And yet, nothing can erase his impact on the program, the p layers he coached and the coaches he mentored. Spartan basketball is what it is today because of Jud Heathcote.”
Heathcote had a 339-221 record at MSU from 1976 until he retired in 1995, including 181-161 in Big Ten games and three conference championships.