Michigan State coach Suzy Merchant taking leave of absence

Michigan State women’s basketball coach Suzy Merchant has taken a medical leave of absence.

Associate head coach Amaka Agugua will serve as the interim head coach.

Merchant remained in New Jersey following Saturday’s game at Rutgers to undergo testing at a local hospital after experiencing symptoms similar to what she felt during a Jan. 1 home game against Illinois. She missed MSU’s Jan. 4 game at Purdue but was back on the bench for the Jan. 7 game versus Nebraska.

MSU athletic director Mark Hollis told WLNS-TV sports anchor Fred Heumann that he made Merchant take time away from basketball.

“She fights me on everything,” Hollis said. “I think she’s in a good place with the whole thing. I think anytime this happens, sometimes we have a tendency to put people in this position that they are resistant to health challenges, and that’s not the case. As a leader, whether it’s president (Lou Anna K.) Simon or myself, it’s our role to make sure that the 15 kids on that team have the great leadership which Suzy has delivered.

“I’ve got to make sure that Suzy’s healthy. Like I said with (Mark Dantonio), I want her here for the long haul, and that’s our intent. I want to make sure she’s in a good place. We think she is. But when she gets back here, we’ll let the doctors do their job, and I’ll do mine and she’ll do hers. Her job right now is to rest with her family and get in a healthy place. And that’s what she’s been told to do.”

A time frame for her return has not been determined.

Michigan State plays at 9 tonight at Northwestern.

Couch: Merchant embarrassed by collapse, haunted by her kids' faces