Suzy Merchant has completed 15 seasons as Michigan State head women's basketball coach. Throughout those 15 seasons, she had signed just one new contract: Her original one. The original contract was a rollover deal that left increases in pay mostly up to university administration.
That changed June 22, when Merchant signed a new, five-year contract that takes her out of the lower half of the Big Ten Conference, in terms of salary.
Merchant's new deal will pay her at least $880,000 per year, when factoring in base pay, media appearances, apparel deals, a one-time bonus and an every-two-year retention bonus.