BERKELEY, Calif. – The last time coach Bill Fennelly and Michigan State’s second-year head coach Suzie Merchant faced each other on the hardwood, the context was slightly different.

“I’ve known Suzie Merchant a long time, and this will tell you how old I am: I coached against her. She was a player at Central Michigan and I was very young at the time,” said Fennelly, who was the former head coach at Toledo from 1988-95.

Before embarking on her coaching career, Merchant, a native of Traverse City, Mich., was a four-year starting guard for the Chippewas (1987-91). During that time, the Chippewas matched-up several times a year against Fennelly’s Toledo squad – a fellow member of the MAC conference.

“She was a great player and someone I have great respect for,” Fennelly said. “She is one of those young, dynamic coaches our sport needs.”

Merchant got her head coaching start at Saginaw Valley State, where she spent three years before taking the reins of Eastern Michigan in 1998. In eight complete seasons at Eastern Michigan, she won 147 games, including back-to-back-to-back seasons of 22 wins or more (2003-06).

Her chance at heading up a marquee program finally came in 2007.

After former Michigan State head coach Joanne McCallie abruptly resigned to fill an opening at Duke, the Spartans turned to Merchant.

The Spartans received an immediate return on the hire as Merchant led her team to the 2008 NIT championship game. This season, Michigan State has continued to thrive under Merchant’s system. Her squad has won 22 games this year, including a shocking second round upset of No. 1 seed Duke.

“I think what she has done with her team has been really fun for her,” Fennelly said. “She deserves a lot of attention and credit for what she has done and I’m glad she is getting it.”