Former Michigan State basketball coach Jud Heathcote, who led the Spartans to the program’s first national championship in 1979, died on Monday at the age of 90 in Spokane, Wash.
The university made the announcement late Monday night.
“Michigan State has lost one of its icons today,” Michigan State coach Tom Izzo said. “And yet, nothing can erase the impact on the program, the players he coached and the coaches he mentored. Spartan basketball is what it is today because of Jud Heathcote.”
Heathcote coached the Spartans for 19 seasons from 1976 through 1995. Before that, he was the head coach at Montana from 1971-1976.