Sue Semrau

Florida State University’s Sue Semrau on March 17, 2011, was named as an assistant coach for the 2011 USA Basketball Women’s U19 World Championship Team. The appointment marks her second USA Basketball coaching assignment after having served as an assistant to the 2010 USA U18 National Team that finished with a perfect 5-0 record, captured the gold medal at the 2010 FIBA Americas Championship and earned the U.S. a berth in the 2011 FIBA U19 Worlds.

The all-time winningest coach in Florida State women’s basketball history, Semrau has compiled a 257-173 overall record (.598 winning percentage) in 14 seasons (1997-98 to present) at the helm of the Seminoles.

With the NCAA Tournament yet to tip, her No. 15 Seminoles currently own a 23-7 record, wrapped up an 11-3 mark in Atlantic Coast Conference play, and earned an at-large bid to the 2011 NCAA Tournament, her seventh straight NCAA appearance.

She has guided FSU to nine postseason appearances, including the last six NCAA Tournaments. In all, her squads have competed in a total of seven NCAA Tournaments and a pair of WNITs, advanced as far as the 2010 NCAA Elite Eight and the Seminoles made it to the 2007 NCAA Sweet Sixteen.

A three-time Atlantic Coast Conference Coach of the Year (2001, 2005 and 2009), Semrau led FSU to back-to-back regular season ACC co-championships in 2008-09 and 2009-10. Further, after leading Florida State to a second-straight co-ACC regular season title in 2009-10, Semrau was recognized by the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association as the Russell Athletic/WBCA Region 2 Coach of the Year.

Since 2004-05 Semrau’s squads have strung together seven consecutive NCAA bids and a 165-63 mark for a 72.4 winning percentage, with the 2011 NCAA Tournament yet to be played

Currently ranked No. 14 nationally, her 2010-11 squad is riding a 23-6 mark into the ACC Tournament, having finished third in the conference with an 11-3 slate.

In 2009-10 Semrau steered FSU to its most successful season ever. The Seminoles, ranked as high as No. 6 by USA Today/ESPN and No. 7 by the Associated Press, played deeper into the NCAA Tournament than ever before. They reached the Elite Eight before being bested by eventual champion Connecticut and finished the season with a 29-6 record. All three of those marks – the Elite Eight finish, 29 victories and top ten national rankings – established new highs for the FSU program. Her squad also capped the ACC regular season as co-champs with a 12-2 slate.

In 2008-09, Semrau guided the Seminoles to a then-school record 26 victories and a share of the ACC title with a 12-2 league record, marking the first time Florida State had ever earned at least a portion of the regular season crown. For turning around a program that went 7-7 in conference play the year before, Semrau was named the 2009 ACC Coach of the Year.

Semrau’s second ACC Coach of the Year award came at the end of the 2004-05 season, her 10th at FSU. That year the Seminoles reached the 20-win mark for the first time since the 1990-91 season, finished the year with a 24-8 record and advanced to the NCAA Tournament second round.

After taking over a program that had not seen a winning season in the five years prior to her arrival, Semrau in her fourth season righted the ship. FSU in 2000-01 competed in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1991, advanced to the second round, finished with a 19-12 record and for the first time since entering the ACC in 1991-92, closed conference play with a winning record (9-7). That year also marked the first time Semrau was awarded the ACC Coach of the Year honor.

Prior to arriving at Florida State, Semrau spent six seasons as an assistant coach to Jane Albright at Northern Illinois University (1991-92 through 1993-94) and the University of Wisconsin (1994-95 through 1996-97). During her stint at Wisconsin, the Badgers compiled a 57-28 record (.671 winning percentage), advanced to two NCAA Tournaments and posted the program’s only back-to-back 20-win seasons to date. Northern Illinois with Semrau as an assistant competed in three NCAA Tournaments, won a pair of conference tournaments, captured two regular season league crowns and posted a 66-26 record (.717 winning percentage).

Semrau began her coaching career in 1987 at Occidental College in Los Angeles, where she spent four years (1987-88 through 1990-91) compiling a 51-47 record as the women’s basketball team’s head coach. While there, she also coached soccer for two years and served as the school’s assistant athletic director.

A native of Seattle, Wash., Semrau played two seasons at University of Puget Sound before transferring to UC San Diego for her final two years. Despite playing just two seasons, Semrau still ranks second among all-time UCSD single-season leaders for assists with 133 (5.5 apg.) in 1983-84 and No. 13 among all-time UCSD career assist leaders with 215 (4.7 apg.)

Semrau graduated from UCSD in 1985 with a bachelor’s degree in communications and received her master’s in athletic administration from the University of Southern California in 1988.

Sue Semrau’s Coaching Synopsis