Heathcote, who died Aug. 28 at age 90, coached the Spartans for 19 years before retiring in 1995. He registered a 340-220 while at the helm in East Lansing, and his teams won three Big Ten Titles. In 1979, in his third season at the school, Heathcote guided the Spartans — who were led by Magic Johnson — to the NCAA championship.
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Since the beginning of the 1976-77 season, Michigan State has had just two head coaches: Heathcote and Tom Izzo, who was an assistant on Heathcote’s staff from 1983-95.
“Jud might be gone, but he will live on as a part of our basketball program and our university as we dedicate the upcoming season to his memory,” Izzo said in a statement. “I can’t wait for that Tribute Game against Purdue. I look forward to seeing so many of his former players paying their respect to a man to whom they owe so much. … Jud had some great battles against the Boilermakers.”
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The Spartans also announced the team will wear patches on their uniforms honoring Heathcote throughout the 2017-18 season. The patch’s design has yet to be released.
