An FSU legend retires: Sue Semrau calls it a career
Greatness can’t be erased.
For the past 24 years, Tallahassee has witnessed excellence on the court from Sue Semrau-led teams. The Seattle native and former Seminoles coach called it a career on March 21 after guiding Florida State to its ninth straight NCAA Tournament appearance.
“It’s been a joy and a privilege to be the head coach at Florida State University,” Semrau said. “Thank you to the amazing players and the talented and diligent members of our staff, you have given me millions of moments to cherish, and friendships for a lifetime.”
Florida State’s illustrious athletics have been orchestrated by notable longtime coaches like Bobby Bowden (football), Lonni Alameda (softball), Mike Martin (baseball), Bob Braman (cross country), Mark Krikorian (soccer), Leonard Hamilton (men’s basketball) and of course, Semrau.
Sitting at the same dinner table as those legends would be quite the feat for anyone, but Semrau is actually near the head of the table with the most wins ever in her program's history with 470. She reached her 200th ACC win in the 2019-2020 season, which was eventually halted due to the pandemic. The ’Noles were 24-8 at the time and a normal season would’ve increased her total tournament appearances tally to 17.
Following the pandemic, Semrau took a leave of absence to care for her ailing mother, which gave the Seminole nation a taste of what life after ‘Coach Sue’ would be like. Interim head coach and FSU alumna Brooke Wyckoff stepped up and guided the ’Noles to a 10-9 record, squeaking their way into the NCAA Tournament.
Semrau eagerly returned to the sidelines this past season and finished with a 17-14 record. Despite losing in the first round of the ‘Big Dance’ for the first time in her career, Semrau was delighted to partake in one last dance with the Garnet and Gold.
“Our precious fans embrace us, fight with us and represent this great university with passion,” Semrau said. “The excellent camaraderie of the coaches I worked with at FSU shaped me. I walk away eternally blessed by the life I lived while being the head coach of Florida State.”
Looking back on Semrau’s career, it’s impossible to tell her story without acknowledging the program she walked into in 1997. Florida State wasn’t always the athletics juggernaut it is today. Semrau built a perennial powerhouse despite inheriting a team that went 27-85 in the previous four years to her arrival.
The four-time ACC Coach of the Year took the Seminoles to new heights with five Sweet 16 and three Elite Eight appearances culminating in winning the 2015 AP, WBCA and ESPNW National Coach of the Year.
“It is hard to put into a few words just what Sue Semrau has meant to our athletics program, our university and the women she has inspired over her career,” FSU Vice President and Director of Athletics Michael Alford said. “You couldn’t find a better representative of Seminole athletics or women’s basketball than Sue.”
Semrau’s tremendous impact on women’s hoops is undeniable. Beyond X's and O's, Semrau elevated her players into WNBA prospects (20), All-Academic students (43) and even oversaw the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association as president from 2013 until 2015.
“She instilled in her student-athletes the qualities that allowed them to be successful on the court, in the classroom and in life,” Alford said. “Sue has represented Florida State masterfully for the last 25 years and we will always be grateful.”
Semrau’s retirement can only be bittersweet for Seminole fans, but it also calls attention to women’s basketball, which is played in the same building as the men. Semrau’s legacy on the court may have been transforming FSU women’s hoops, but her legacy off the court is her dedication to building a different view of women’s athletics as a whole.
The game will miss her. Florida State will miss her.
“I am ’Nole Blooded and I’m proud to be a Seminole forever,” Semrau said.