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Former MSU coach Jud Heathcoate passed away last night. He was 90. Still remember that game when Jud brought his #3/#5 ranked Spartans into Anderson Arena. I found a seat right behind Jud (orange reserve seats) and I would give him crap during time outs. I learned my lesson as I had a towel and water squirted at me from a player. Still a hell of a coach and a hell of a game. I remember him saying that he would never schedule to play BG ever again. R.I.P. coach. Lost a great one today.

My memory of Jud was when we played them up at Jenison Fieldhouse in the NIT (1982?). Me and some of the boys from Offenhower made the trip to East Lansing. They had Scott Skiles and Kevin Willis on that team. Willis hit a short jumper in OT to win the game for MSU. BG's Keith Taylor missed two free throws that would have iced the game for the Falcons in regulation.

What I remember most is seeing that huge picture of Magic Johnson hanging in the Jenison lobby, and how much the arena reminded me of an airplane hangar.

I think that was spring of 83.....

Charlie Coles was fun to watch work the refs..the crowd..the vendors..everyone, but Heathcote took that to another level.

MSU has had TWO head coaches since 1976....that's a model most programs would love to emulate. (although Coach K down at Duke has almost done that stretch himself)

Flipper wrote:I t. . . MSU has had TWO head coaches since 1976....that's a model most programs would love to emulate. (although Coach K down at Duke has almost done that stretch himself)

Boeheim has been at Syracuse since 1976.

Lord_Byron wrote:

Flipper wrote:I t. . . MSU has had TWO head coaches since 1976....that's a model most programs would love to emulate. (although Coach K down at Duke has almost done that stretch himself)

Boeheim has been at Syracuse since 1976.

Bobby Knight's been an asshole since 1940...

Lord_Byron wrote:

Flipper wrote:I t. . . MSU has had TWO head coaches since 1976....that's a model most programs would love to emulate. (although Coach K down at Duke has almost done that stretch himself)

Boeheim has been at Syracuse since 1976.

I forgot about Boeheim...possibly because he's always struck me as being a bit of a pud

Jud, loved to hate Anderson Arena and how close the students were to the court because he knew it had an impact on his team. BG also beat him for his first loss at Breslin, but he was always a gentleman under that fiery exterior. RIP, Jud!

ZuluWarrior wrote:Jud, loved to hate Anderson Arena and how close the students were to the court because he knew it had an impact on his team. BG also beat him for his first loss at Breslin, but he was always a gentleman under that fiery exterior. RIP, Jud!

As a current student, I have always wished to experience a season inside of Anderson Arena. It sounds like the atmosphere was tremendous.

mbenecke wrote:

ZuluWarrior wrote:Jud, loved to hate Anderson Arena and how close the students were to the court because he knew it had an impact on his team. BG also beat him for his first loss at Breslin, but he was always a gentleman under that fiery exterior. RIP, Jud!

As a current student, I have always wished to experience a season inside of Anderson Arena. It sounds like the atmosphere was tremendous.

It could be.

In its final years it was a worse atmosphere than what the Stroh is now. The same paltry crowds in a dingy old gym that had buckets collecting rainwater from the leaky roof. And only one restroom. LONG walks in crappy weather to get there and back, especially on weekday games.

Anderson could absolutely rock, some of my fondest BG memories in that building. But when the team was bad (as it was for most of the last 7-8 years or so) the place was dismal.

Yep...After Dakich left the first time...things got progressively worse until it was a simply dreadful place to watch a game. You might have more fun watching a game in a morgue

Geeze, don't make fun of 'venerable' arena. I remember Jud at the AA game. His jacket was green and his face was red, heading toward purple.


HoopsFan