Jud Heathcote, who won Michigan State basketball's first national title as part of a 19-year career as head coach the school, passed away on Monday at age 90.

Heathcote died in Spokane, Washington, where he lived since he retired in 1995.

"The basketball world is a sadder place today with the passing of Jud Heathcote," Spartans coach Tom Izzo, an assistant under Heathcote for 12 years before succeeding him. "No one cared more about the welfare of the game than Jud. He was a coach's coach and a mentor to many.

"Our hearts are filled with sadness and deepest sympathy for his wife Beverly and the Heathcote family."

Heathcote came to Michigan State in 1976 after previous head coaching stints at Washington State and Montana.

A year after his arrival, he recruited a highly touted local player by the name of Earvin "Magic" Johnson, to form a core of a team that had one of the most successful runs in school history, with back-to-back Big Ten titles.

That run culminated in 1979, when Heathcote and Michigan State beat Indiana State to win the school's first national title.

Heathcote remained on the Michigan State bench for 16 more years, during which his colorful personality and tough, defensive-minded teams became familiar to fans at Michigan State and beyond.

He finished with a 339-221 overall record at Michigan State, with three Big Ten titles and nine NCAA Tournament appearances.

In 1983, he hired a young Izzo as an assistant coach out of Northern Michigan.

After his retirement, Heathcote remained close to the program, particularly through his frequent conversations with Izzo. He also made regular visits for Michigan State NCAA tournament games. But as his health declined, as he missed the 2015 Final Four and Izzo's induction into the Basketball Hall of Fame last year.