Former Michigan State basketball coach Jud Heathcote, who led the Spartans to the 1979 national championship, died on Monday at the age of 90 in Spokane, Wash.
The university made the announcement late Monday night.
“The basketball world is a sadder place today with the passing of Jud Heathcote,” Michigan State coach Tom Izzo said in a statement. “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.