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Michigan State

Suzy Merchant hospitalized due to medical incident and one-car accident

On3 imageby: Jim Comparoni01/28/23JimComparoni
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Michigan State women's basketball coach Suzy Merchant was hospitalized due to a medical condition on Saturday after being involved in a minor one-car accident. (Photo by Getty Images).

East Lansing, Mich. – Michigan State women’s basketball coach Suzy Merchant was hospitalized on Saturday morning and is stable condition, according to a press release issued by the university at 1:54 p.m. on Saturday.

Merchant is at Sparrow Hospital and undergoing testing. 

The statement from the university said Merchant was involved in a “minor one-car accident due to a medical incident on Saturday morning.”

Michigan State announced that associate head coach Dean Lockwood will act as interim head coach during Merchant’s absence, including Sunday’s game at Illinois.

In January of 2017, Merchant fainted on the sidelines while coaching the Spartans against Illinois at Breslin Center. She was evaluated on the court by medical personnel after the episode before walking to the locker room. She was briefly hospitalized for testing after the incident.

Merchant, 53, has been the Spartans’ head coach since 2007. She has coached Michigan State to Big Ten regular season championships in 2011 and 2014. 

Merchant’s record at Michigan State is 311-173. This year, the Spartans are 11-9 and 3-6 in the Big Ten.

Merchant, a 1991 graduate of Central Michigan, was head coach at Saginaw Valley State for three years, including a 20-7 record in her final season in 1998. 

She coached nine years at Eastern Michigan, including three straight 22-plus win seasons from 2004-2006.

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