TRAVERSE CITY -- Suzy Merchant's life has changed dramatically in the last year.
Personally and professionally.
Just over a year ago -- on Christmas Eve -- Merchant gave birth to son Tyler.
Four months later, the Traverse City native was hired as Michigan State women's basketball coach.
"People say, 'Pace yourself. Don't do it all at once,'" Merchant said. "But I guess, for me, that's the way it worked out."
Merchant -- the most successful coach in Eastern Michigan history (147-91, including three 20-win seasons) --took over a Spartan program that played for a national title in 2005.
"It's been a whirlwind," Merchant said. "It's been overwhelming, but in a positive way. This is a dream come true."
A two-time All-State point guard under coach Jim Anderson in Traverse City, Merchant was a four-year starter and three-year captain at Central Michigan. She started her coaching career as an assistant at Oakland, then accepted her first head coaching job at Saginaw Valley. The Cardinals were 54-29 in her three years there. She then took over a downtrodden Eastern Michigan program -- and quickly turned it around. That success led to her hiring at Michigan State.
"I never dreamed about being at a certain spot," said Merchant, who is married to Gary Rakan, a former Traverse City football star. "I just always wanted to coach at a school where when you walk out on to the floor there are fans in the stands, there's energy in the building, and it's a big deal. I've always been at more commuter-based schools where people really didn't have the enthusiasm, the spirit, the focus, the passion for their school like they do here. There were 100 people at my (recent) radio show. We didn't get 100 people at some of our games (at her previous stops).
"For me, it's cool to know that I'm at a place where you can win a national championship and where there's so much enthusiasm and passion (for the women's basketball). These kids are truly loved in this community. It's great to be part of that."
The Spartans have struggled as of late, losing three of their last four to fall to 8-5 and out of the Top 25. Michigan State dropped its Big Ten opener Friday to Minnesota 74-63 before more than 6,000 at the Breslin Center.
The Spartans were hit hard by injuries prior to the season, losing starters Mia Johnson and Aisha Jefferson to knee injuries and 6-4 center/forward Laura Hall to a foot injury. Johnson and Jefferson suffered ACL damage. Johnson underwent surgery in July and is just now returning.
"Mia's probably 70 percent at best," Merchant said. "She's a ways away. She's been hobbling around. She's not close to where she was."
Jefferson went down in a pre-season game.
"In all of my years of coaching I've never seen anything (injuries) like it," she said. "We lost two starters, potentially three. Obviously, that's part of the game. But people here have expectations for the program so you keep your nose to the grindstone and figure a way to win ball games."
The injuries have left Merchant with little depth. She's relied heavily on three freshmen -- forwards Kalisha Keane and Cetera Washington and point guard Brittney Thomas. That, in part, is why the Spartans have been inconsistent early on.
"You have to look at the fact the quarterback of the team, the kid running the show, the coach on the floor, is a freshman," Merchant said. "She's (Thomas) doing a really good job, but it's a learning process. It's a high level of play. As your point guard goes, so goes the team."
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