Suzy Merchant

As of June 18, 2009

Named to her first USA Basketball staff as an assistant coach with the 2009 USA World University Games Team, Suzy Merchant joins the USA sideline having 14 seasons of head coaching experience and a 246-145 overall record (.629 winning percentage).

'It is truly an honor to be part of USA Basketball,' Merchant said. 'I am thrilled to have the opportunity to coach talented young women at the World University Games this summer. There is nothing more exciting than representing your country.'

Merchant has spent two seasons (2007-08 to present) as the head coach at Michigan State, collecting a 45-25 record (.643 winning percentage). Nine Spartans have earned conference postseason honors in her first two seasons.

Her 2008-09 squad tallied a 22-11 record, finished second in the Big Ten at 13-5 and reached the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16. The season was highlighted with an upset of No. 1-seeded Duke in the NCAA Tournament Second Round. In her first season at Michigan State, Merchant took the youngest team in the Big Ten to the championship game of the WNIT and tied for the most wins (23-14) by a first-year Spartan basketball coach in MSU history. The 23 wins tied for the fourth-winningest season in program history and also tied a career-high for Merchant.

Prior to MSU, Merchant spent nine seasons (1998-99 to 2006-07) as head coach at Eastern Michigan University, where she departed as the winningest coach in program history with a 147-91 record (.618 winning percentage).

During her tenure with the Eagles, Merchant guided Eastern Michigan three 20-win seasons, three postseason appearances and two Mid-American Conference (MAC) West Division titles.

Merchant's 2003-04 team claimed the MAC West Division and MAC Tournament championships for the first time in school history, earning the program's first-ever bid to the NCAA Tournament en route to a 22-8 record. Merchant became the first female coach at EMU to win a MAC title and was selected as Basketball Coaches Association of Michigan Coach of the Year. She followed that impressive season by winning 23 games in 2004-05, the most in school history, and sent EMU to the postseason for the second straight year with a WNIT appearance.

In 2005-06, the Eagles reached the 20-win plateau for the third consecutive season and won their second MAC West title with a 15-1 conference record, notching the most league wins in school history. Their 22-8 overall record put them into the postseason for the third-straight year as the Eagles earned a bid to the WNIT.

Although Merchant only coached four games in the 2006-07 season due to maternity leave, she passed two milestones, including her 200th career win with a victory over Morehead State on Nov. 18, and she became the winningest coach in Eastern Michigan history with a win over Detroit on Dec. 6.

EMU players received postseason MAC honors over 20 times during her nine seasons in Ypsilanti, including the only two All-Americans in program history (Stephanie Smiley, Ryan Coleman).

She assumed the interim role of Assistant Athletics Director/Senior Women's Administrator at Eastern Michigan from April 2005 through June 2006.

Before coaching at Eastern Michigan, Merchant spent three seasons at Saginaw Valley State (Mich.), posting a 54-29 (.651) record. After inheriting a team with a losing record, Merchant went 15-11 in her first season before going 19-11 in year two while earning a berth in the NCAA Division II Tournament for just the second time in school history. In her final season, Saginaw Valley State collected a 20-7 record and was ranked as high as 15th in the nation.

Merchant began her coaching career at Oakland University (Mich.), serving as the top assistant coach for three seasons (1992-93 to 1994-95).

A four-year starter and three-year captain at Central Michigan University, Merchant holds Chippewa records for assists with 463 and single-season assists with 156, and is tied for first in single-game assists with 11. She also finished her career third-best in made 3-point field goals with 75.

The Traverse City, Mich., native earned USA Today All-America honorable mention and was a two-time Class A all-state selection at Traverse City High School. She was also an all-state volleyball player.

Merchant earned her bachelor's degree in health/fitness from Central Michigan in 1991 and a master's degree in educational leadership from Saginaw Valley State in 2000.