Magic honors late Michigan State coach Heathcote
Aug 29, 2017 - 6:03 PM Earvin "Magic" Johnson honored the memory of Jud Heathcote on Tuesday, one day after his former collegiate coach at Michigan State died at the age of 90.Heathcote guided the Johnson-led team to a national championship in 1979. He battled a number of ailments that kept him from returning to East Lansing in his later years.
"My college Coach Jud Heathcote will be missed so much. He was a great man & basketball coach who truly cared about me on & off the court," Johnson wrote on Twitter. "At MSU he pushed me in the classroom & coached me hard on the basketball court. I love him so much because he pushed me to be great.
"As a defensive coach known for perfecting the match up zone, we were always prepared for our opponent. He made us NCAA champions in 1979!
"Coach Heathcote made me a better person, player, and champion. He turned a young kid into a man. Thank you so much for all you did for me."
With Johnson as the star, the Spartans beat Larry Bird and Indiana State 75-64 in a classic NCAA championship game matchup in Salt Lake City. It is still the highest-rated college basketball game in television history.
Heathcote led Michigan State to 10 NCAA Tournament appearances and three Big Ten titles during his 19 years as coach.
Overall, Heathcote compiled a 416-277 record for a .600 winning percentage during his college career. The North Dakota native was the head coach at Montana before coming to Michigan State, where he went 339-221.
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