Jud Heathcote
Jud Heathcote (1927-2017)
Teams coached: Montana Grizzlies, Michigan State Spartans
Montana record: 80-53 (.602)
Michigan State record: 338-222 (.604)
Overall record: 418-275 (.603)
Career Accomplishments:
- NCAA National Championships: 1 (1979)
- NCAA Tournament Appearances: 10 (1975, 1978, 1979, 1985, 1986, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1994, 1995)
- NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen: 5 (1975, 1978, 1979, 1986, 1990)
- NCAA Tournament Final Four: 1 (1979)
- NIT Championships: 1 (1979)
- NIT Appearances: 3 (1983, 1989, 1993)
- Big Ten Regular Season Champion: 3 (1978, 1979, 1990)
- Big Sky Regular Season Champion: 2 (1974, 1975)
- Helms Foundation National Championships: 1 (1979)
Awards:
- NABC Coach of the Year: 1 (1990)
- Sporting News Coach of the Year: 1 (1995)
- Big Ten Coach of the Year: 2 (1978, 1986)
- Big Sky Coach of the Year: 1 (1975)
- NABC Golden Anniversary Award (2001)
- National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame (inducted 2009)
Coaching Career (head coach, unless noted):
| 1976-1995 | Michigan State |
| 1971-1976 | Montana |
| 1964-1971 | Washington State (asst) |
Jud Heathcote Facts
- George Melvin Heathcote
- Born May 27, 1927
- Died August 28, 2017
- Hometown: Manchester, Washington
- Alma Mater: Washington State University (1949)
- Born in Harvey, North Dakota but raised with his mother and grandparents in Manchester, WA
- Was a three-sport athlete at South Kitsap HS in Port Orchard, WA
- Spent a year in the Navy after graduation before heading to Washington State when the war ended
- Played for Jack Friel at Washington State and started coaching after graduation, spending 14 years at West Valley HS (WA)
- First college job was at his alma mater, Washington State, as an assistant under Hall of Fame head coach Marv Harshman
- Became a college head coach in 1971 when he took over the Montana Grizzlies’ program
- Won 80 games in five seasons and reached one NCAA Tournament (1975)
- Took the Michigan State head coaching job in 1976 and by his third season he had turned a 12-win team into a National Champion, led by future Hall-of-Famer Earvin “Magic” Johnson
- Won 339 games and reached nine NCAA Tournaments in 19 seasons as the Michigan State head coach before retiring in 1995 and turning the program over to his long-time assistant Tom Izzo
- In his retirement, Heathcote lived in Spokane, WA and was a regular fixture at Gonzaga Bulldogs home games; formed a close friendship with Gonzaga head coach Mark Few
Jud Heathcote Coaching Tree
- Bill Berry (San José State)
- Jim Boylan (Milwaukee Bucks, Chicago Bulls, New Hampshire)
- Jim Boylen (Chicago Bulls, Utah)
- Jim Brandenburg (San Diego State, Wyoming, Montana)
- Tom Crean (Georgia, Indiana, Marquette)
- Mike Deane (Wagner, Lamar, Marquette, Siena)
- Brian Gregory (South Florida, Georgia Tech, Dayton)
- Tom Izzo (Michigan State)
- Stan Joplin (Toledo)
- Don Monson (Oregon, Idaho)
- Mark Montgomery (Detroit Mercy, Northern Illinois)
- Kelvin Sampson (Houston, Indiana, Oklahoma, Washington State, Montana Tech)
- Scott Skiles (Orlando Magic, Milwaukee Bucks, Chicago Bulls, Phoenix Suns)
- Dwayne Stephens (Western Michigan)
- Sam Vincent (Anaheim Arsenal, Charlotte Bobcats, Fort Worth Flyers, Mobile Revelers)