George M. (Jud) Heathcote
National Championship Basketball Coach

Honors are nothing new for the 2005 recipient of the Battle in Seattle award for life long contribution to basketball in the Pacific Northwest. Jud Heathcote over the past 10 years has been inducted into the both the University of Montana and Michigan State athletic Hall of Fames and in 2001 was presented with the Golden Anniversary Award by the National Association of Basketball Coaches for his service to college basketball at the Final Four. Coach Heathcote will be honored at reception hosted by Baden Sports, Friday December 9. Baden, whom, like coach Heathcote has PASSION FOR A BETTER GAME™.

The reception, held at the Red Lion of 5th avenue, starts at 6:30pm with a no host bar followed by a 7:00pm short program that includes Oklahoma State Head Coach Eddie Sutton, Gonzaga Head Coach Mark Few, and other special guests. Finally, Baden will introduce Jud Heathcote as the 2005 Battle in Seattle Honoree. Tickets are available through Gonzaga ticket office for $15 and will be limited to the first 250 persons.

Jud is probably best known for leading his 1979 Michigan State team to its first NCAA men’s basketball championship and winning back to back Big Ten titles in 1978 and 1979. During those two season’s, Heathcote had the opportunity to coach one of the game’s greatest players, NBA Hall of Famer Earvin “Magic” Johnson. Jud was also a two-time Big Ten Coach of the Year in 1978 and 1986. In his 19 years as MSU’s head coach Heathcote was the winningest coach in school history with a record of 340-200 (.607). He coached seven different players to All-America recognition while 12 of his pupils garnered first or second team All-Big Ten distinction. He enhanced the career of 23 players who would become NBA draft picks, and he retired No. 5 on the Big Ten Conference’s all-time win list for league contests.

However it was his time at Alma Matter Washington State, coaching stint at University of Montana and his current touch in today’s game from his home in Spokane Washington that Jud was elected for this award. Jud will be following Marv Harshman whom he was an assistant coach for in receiving this award.

Jud originally went to Washington State University from South Kitsap High School in Port Orchard and played basketball and baseball for the Cougars. Jud earned B.S. and B.Ed. degrees from WSU in 1950. He continued his education at the University of Washington where he earned his Masters in 1960. Afterwards Jud served as a head freshman and varsity assistant coach (under Harshman) for Washington State, where his frosh teams were 99-9 and the varsity finished second to UCLA three times in the Pacific Eight conference.

In 1971 Jud was handed the Head coaching duties at University of Montana. Heathcote generally is credited with the revitalization of the Grizzly basketball program. In his fourth season at UM (1974-1975), Heathcote guided the Grizzlies to their fist conference championship in school history as well as their first NCAA playoff appearance. Following a 20-6 regular season, Heathcote’s team defeated Utah State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, and then lost by only three points to eventual national champion UCLA. His five-season record at Montana was 80-53. During his stay at Montana, Jud also coached the UM handball club to a national championship.

In a total of 24 years as a college head coach, Jud manufactured a career ledger of 420-273. However one of Jud’s greatest contributions to college basketball maybe the fact that he has lead a legacy of college basketball coaches that boasts more head coaches than those of Dean Smith, Mike Krzyzewski or Bob Knight. In his career at Michigan State and Montana Jud’s assistant coaches included Tom Izzo (Michigan State), Kelvin Sampson (Oklahoma), Jim Brandenburg (former Wyoming and San Diego State), Mike Montgomery (Stanford and now Golden State Warriors), and Don Monson (retired Idaho and Oregon). Heathcote would also like to boast one more from the fraternity in current Gonzaga Head Coach Mark Few. Heathcote has held weekly strategy sessions with Few, Monson, and the Gonzaga crew since he retired to Spokane in 1995.

For these accomplishments Coach Heathcote will be honored at a special evening reception on Friday December 9, at the Red Lion on 5th Avenue, and at halftime of the Gonzaga-Oklahoma State game the following day.