Sue Semrau, Tallahassee

Head Women’s Basketball Coach, Retired, Florida State University

In 1997, Sue Semrau got a call from Florida State University. FSU was about as far from home as the Seattle native could get, and the women’s basketball team hadn’t enjoyed a winning season in a decade.

“Quite honestly, it was a step of faith,” Semrau said. “I could fear what it looked like and what the world said, or I could fear God and take the next step. Fortunately, I said yes, and the rest is craziness. Craziness, but good.”

In the 24 years that followed, Semrau led the team to 16 NCAA tournament appearances and three Elite Eight appearances as the head women’s basketball coach. She was named all-ACC Coach of the Year four times and earned the honor of National Coach of the Year in 2015. Shortly after her retirement in 2022, Semrau claimed her place in the FSU Hall of Fame as the program’s winningest coach in history with 470 victories.

The secret behind Semrau’s success can, at least in part, be attributed to her “people-first” approach. When she arrived at FSU, she did not simply rewrite the playbook or tack on extra hours of practice. She got to know the young women she coached.

“I was the third coach in three years, so I had to establish trust with the players that were there.”

She visited the homes of players, both active and prospective. She met their families and learned where they came from. For Semrau, this was crucial to understanding her team’s needs both on and off the court.

FSU head football coach Bobby Bowden reinforced for Semrau the value of close relationships with players. During their careers, both Bowden and Semrau mourned the death of a player they had coached.

“The advice that he gave me, the notes that he wrote me,” she said, “it helped me understand that people are so much more important.”

Her players were not the only people Semrau invested in. She needed to build a strong coaching staff to back her up.

“Football coaches had an offensive coordinator, a defensive coordinator, a recruiting coordinator,” Semrau said. “I thought, why don’t we do this in basketball where I can grow my coaches by giving them responsibility in different areas?”

Being a Division 1 head coach, Semrau said, is like being a CEO. She made sure her coaching staff had experience that would set them up for success. Now, Semrau’s former assistant coach, ​​Brooke Wykcoff, has taken the reins. Semrau could not be prouder.

Though her coaching years have ended, Semrau has no intention of leaving Tallahassee. She is finding new ways to invest in the community by partnering with Equal Shot to create a three-on-three girls basketball league. She is also focused on the issue of homelessness and looking for ways to help.

“I’m more present with people,” Semrau said. “I’m more present with the things that I am working on. Oftentimes, I think we work on things that we dislike. It’s our job then to turn around and take care of it.”

Sue Semrau was nominated for the 2024 Pinnacle Awards by Brooke Wyckoff, Head Coach, Florida State University Women’s Basketball.

Videography by The Workmans