MSU 'Icon' Jud Heathcote Passes Away At 90

METRO DETROIT, MI — Before Tom Izzo, before a plethora of NBA players passed through Michigan State University, including Earvin “Magic” Johnson, Jud Heathcote was The Man for Spartans’ basketball. He took a program down on its luck in the mid 1970s and put it on the map, eventually capturing the 1979 NCAA championship.

Jud Heathcote passed away Monday in Spokane, Washington. He was 90 years old.

Known for sometimes fiery, sometimes comical sideline antics — he once bounced a basketball on the court only to have it immediately comeback and smack him in the face — Heathcote had a dry sense of humor and was often at the center of his own jokes. But for as down-to-earth as he was, Jud Heathcote was a seriously good basketball coach and mentor to players and other coaches.

"Without a doubt, he was one of the most influential people in my life, giving me a chance when no one else would,” Izzo said in a statement. “Any coaching success I've ever had is because of him. Long after he left Michigan State, he was still one of the first people I would call when I had a tough decision in coaching or life.”

Heathcote coached Michigan State from 1976-95, guiding the Spartans to 340 victories, three Big Ten titles, nine NCAA Tournament berths and one national title during his 19 seasons in East Lansing.

Heathcote is the second-winningest coach in MSU history with a record of 340-220 (.607), including a 14-8 (.636) mark in the NCAA Tournament. His overall record was 420-273 (.606) over 24 seasons, including five years at Montana.

Besides the 1979 NCAA championship, Heathcote guided the Spartans to back-to-back Big Ten titles in 1978 and 1979. A two-time Big Ten Coach of the Year (1978 and 1986), Heathcote coached seven All-Americans (Johnson, Gregory Kelser, Jay Vincent, Sam Vincent, Scott Skiles, Steve Smith and Shawn Respert) and 22 NBA players.

Prior to his retirement, Heathcote ensured that the future of Spartan basketball would be in good hands. In 1990, he promoted assistant Izzo to associate head coach, and fought for him to be named his successor.

"Michigan State has lost one of its icons today,” Izzo said. “And yet nothing can erase his impact on the program, the players he coached and the coaches he mentored. Spartan basketball is what it is today because of Jud Heathcote."

Kelser took to Twitter to remember his old coach.

Photo by Duane Burleson / Stringer / Getty Images Sports/ Getty Images