🔍 What We Know About Jud Heathcote
Legacy: Head coach at Michigan State from 1976–1995, best known for leading the Spartans to the 1979 NCAA national championship featuring Magic Johnson .
Accomplishments: Over 340 wins at MSU; three Big Ten titles; Big Ten Coach of the Year (1978, 1986); inducted into the College Basketball Hall of Fame in 2009 .
Passing: Died August 28, 2017, at age 90 .
Tributes: In 2017–18, players wore patches, and the February 10, 2018 game against Purdue was officially dubbed the “Jud Heathcote Tribute Game” .
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🟢 So, Has MSU Announced a New Award?
Not yet. There’s no current information or official statement indicating that Michigan State plans to bestow any new prestigious posthumous award to Coach Heathcote beyond the previous 2017–18 acknowledgments. It’s possible that rumors or misinterpretations have led to confusion, but as of late June 2025, no fresh developments have surfaced.
If you came across this as a breaking ESPN headline, it may be inaccurate, premature, or simply a misquote—maybe referring to past tributes rather than a future honor.
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Why the 2017–18 Tributes Mattered
Those gestures remain significant:
1. Patch on Uniforms – A visual, season-long nod to his impact on the program.
2. Tribute Game – Held alongside former players in his honor, reaffirming his influence on generations of Spartans.
Both reflected Heathcote’s deep legacy, though no new recognition is currently in motion.
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✅ What You Can Do Next
Check reliable outlets like the official Michigan State Athletics site or ESPN’s NCAA Basketball section for confirmation.
If you can provide a link or source for this “new” announcement, I can verify it.
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Final Thought
Coach Jud Heathcote’s legacy is firmly etched in Spartan history—1979 champion, impactful coach, Hall of Famer. Unless MSU publicly announces a new posthumous award, any report suggesting so would be speculative. Let me know if you find something I can fact-check further!
