Jud Heathcote, who coached Michigan State to its first NCAA basketball championship in 1979, died Aug. 28 at age 90. Heathcote spent 19 seasons of his 25-year college coaching career at Michigan State, compiling a 336-224 (.600) record while leading the Spartans to the NCAA tournament nine times and winning three Big Ten Conference championships. Before arriving in East Lansing, he spent six seasons in Montana, where he had a 80-53 (.602) record while reaching the NCAA tournament once. Here are some of the more memorable moments of his career at MSU.
Heathcote's first MSU season didn't give much of an indication of what was to come.