Florida State University Athletics
Florida State Athletics Hall of Fame
- Induction:
- 2023
Sue Semrau was named head women's basketball coach at Florida State in the summer of 1997 with the goal of turning around a program that had fallen on tough times.
Through her 24 seasons leading the Seminoles, she emerged as one of the nation's top coaches who not only rebuilt the program but elevated it to a national power. Semrau guided her teams to five NCAA Sweet 16s, three NCAA Elite Eights and two ACC co-regular season titles. With "Coach Sue" at the helm, FSU recorded 16 NCAA Tournament appearances, including 15 in her last 16 seasons of coaching.
The Seattle, Washington, native created a new home for herself in Tallahassee - carrying a larger-than-life persona that made her a beloved figure in the Big Bend Community. Her personality is only matched by her coaching accolades, racking up eight consecutive 20-win seasons while in the rugged ACC from 2012-20 and 52 AP Top 25 victories. She was crowned the 2015 National Coach of the Year by the Associated Press, WBCA and ESPNW, and was a four-time ACC Coach of the Year (2001, 2005, 2009 and 2015).
Semrau cared even more for molding her players in the classroom, with 43 All-ACC Academic honors recorded by her student-athletes under her watch. Two of her most prized awards for her community efforts included being named the 2013 Kay Yow Heart of a Coach Award recipient as well as the Samaritan's Feet 2018 Barefoot Coach of the Year.
Semrau finished her career as FSU's all-time leader in wins with 492 victories.
