Michigan State announced Monday that former head coach Jud Heathcote, the college coach of Magic Johnson, has died at the age of 90 in Spokane, Washington.
Heathcote was the head coach of the Spartans for 19 seasons, winning three Big Ten titles and appearing in nine NCAA tournaments.
Led by Heathcote, Johnson and the 1979 Michigan State team won the NCAA National Championship, beating Larry Bird and Indiana State for the school’s first men’s basketball national championship.
After learning of Heathcote’s death Johnson paid tribute to his former coach on his official Twitter account:
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.
— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) August 29, 2017
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.
— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) August 29, 2017
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!
— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) August 29, 2017
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.
— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) August 29, 2017
Prayers for the family and loved ones of Coach Heathcote during this difficult time.
— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) August 29, 2017
Heathcote began his college head coaching career at Montana in 1971, where he remained for five seasons before leaving for Michigan State where he remained until he retired 1995. He is responsible for hiring Tom Izzo, who took over for him after he retired and remains the head coach at Michigan State today.
Johnson played two seasons for Heathcote, averaging 17.1 points, 7.6 rebounds and 7.9 assists. As Johnson stated in his tweets, Heathcote is largely responsible for making Johnson the player and the man that he is today and that is the case for many other players as well.