College Basketball

Michigan State women's basketball coach takes medical leave

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 10:51 p.m. ET

EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) Michigan State women's basketball coach Suzy Merchant is taking an indefinite medical leave of absence.

The school announced Tuesday associate head coach Amaka Agugua will lead the team as interim head coach.

Merchant fainted during a game Jan. 1 and was later taken to a hospital for tests and kept overnight as a precaution. She felt similar symptoms Saturday following a game at Rutgers, and stayed in New Jersey for tests at a hospital.

Merchant did not coach on Jan. 4 at Purdue before returning for the following three games.

The 47-year-old Merchant is in her 10th season at Michigan State. She helped the Spartans win their first outright Big Ten title in 2011, and shared a conference championship in 2014.