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Column: FSU celebrates, roasts and honors Sue Semrau

Sue Semrau gave everything to Florida State for 25 years. On Sunday, her FSU family thanked her back.

Semrau had returned to the FSU campus for games but this was her first basketball game back in the Donald L. Tucker Center since her retirement in March 2022. A standing-room only crowd packed into a banquet hall under the arena for a pregame ceremony that was a reunion, roast and brought tears to the eyes of many with fond memories.

“I can't even remember who played with each other,” Semrau said, speaking often to a group of a few dozen of her players who made the trip back to Tallahassee. “That’s the thing about a coach who has done it for 25 years. There are a lot of really, really cool moments. But this, honestly, you guys being here is unreal.”

Semrau was roasted by a freshman on her first team, Vanessa Fuchs, who later became her boss as FSU’s senior women’s administrator. Fuchs is now working with WeCoach, which is fostering relationships with women in coaching. After a tribute video showed Semrau through the years from when she was hired in the summer of 1997, Fuchs reflected on what Semrau meant to her and decades of players.

“I love what the video said,” Fuchs said. “What Sue told us from day one: I'm going to treat you as a person first, a student second and an athlete third. And my teammates can attest to this. It was a rough period for some of our seniors. They had been through three different head coaches in three years. So sometimes when you go through that transition as an athlete, the trust is impacted.”

Semrau built trust and there were trying moments early, including three straight losing seasons before the young Seminoles made a run to the NCAA Tournament in 2000-01. Fuchs recalled not hearing Semrau cuss in a practice or during a game until her senior year, as the Seminoles were trying to win at No. 2 Duke.

“We had to win two out of our last three games in order to get an at-large bid to go to our first NCAA Tournament in 10 years,” Fuchs said. “And we're in the huddle. We're at Duke, I think No. 2 in the country at the time, we had to win that game. And Sue got in the huddle and I remember she said the D-word. Yeah, d-a-m-n.”

A large group of FSU women's basketball players returned for a reunion and celebration of Sue Semrau.
A large group of FSU women's basketball players returned for a reunion and celebration of Sue Semrau. (Mike Olivella)
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FSU won 19 games in 2000-01, the senior season for Brooke Wyckoff and Fuchs. It was the first of 16 NCAA Tournament trips and 492 wins over 25 seasons. Toward the end of Sunday’s event, athletics director Michael Alford said Semrau will be inducted into the FSU Athletics Hall of Fame this fall.

Semrau took a coaching sabbatical during a 2020-21 COVID season, recruiting from a distance while caring for her mom, Rosemary, who has cancer. On Sunday, she said, “My mom is doing fantastic.”

Among the many players who returned this weekend were Courtney Ward, who is now coaching boys’ basketball in Montgomery, Ala. Bally Sports announcer Angel Gray flew in to call the game. Some of her longtime assistants, from Lance White at Pittsburgh to Cori Close at UCLA, are now head coaches.

Coach Brooke Wyckoff did not attend the event as she was preparing for FSU’s game against Duke, a 70-57 victory in a top-25 showdown. The Seminoles improved to 19-5 in Wyckoff’s first season as the full-time head coach. Wyckoff served as interim head coach during the COVID season in 2020-21, helping the Seminoles reach the NCAA Tournament.

Semrau, of course, beamed with pride over what Wyckoff and the Seminoles have accomplished.

“She should slow down a little bit because you don’t want to set these expectations,” Semrau said. “But it’s incredible. And I’m so, so proud.”

Semrau has also remained close with her players through the years. And she’s also serving as a mentor for those who have gone into coaching. A few who could not make it back for the reunion made contact with Semrau recently.

“I got texts from people yesterday, Ganiyat (Adeduntan) was at Colgate, ‘Do you have some time in the next couple of days to talk?’ ” Semrau said. “And I love that. When you’ve done it a long time, the experience, you gain some type of wisdom and to be able to pass that on. And for them to want that has been special and exceptional.”

Angel Gray, who played at FSU from 2006-10, flew in to broadcast Sunday's game and connect with coach Sue Semrau.
Angel Gray, who played at FSU from 2006-10, flew in to broadcast Sunday's game and connect with coach Sue Semrau. (Bob Ferrante)

Semrau’s impact has been felt throughout the community as she strengthened relationships with fans and boosters. She made sure community service was a component of her core, coaching with bare feet to bring awareness for the need for shoes in third-world countries through Samaritan’s Feet. Stories like those are well known, but there are others that aren’t.

“Now 15 years ago you called me and invited me to dinner,” said Mark Zeigler, a professor in FSU’s college of communications. “And it was the night before camp started. ‘Sue is asking me to speak.’ And I leaned over and I said, ‘Sue, what do you want me to do?’ And she says, ‘Eat.’ So I was waiting to be introduced as the speaker and Sue has a way of bringing us back to the Earth and she said, ‘I have a speaker for y'all tonight.’ I’m clearing my throat. And she introduced a gentleman. He was a janitor. He was homeless. And he hung out on Tennessee Street.

“And every night, he had a radio, he was listening to the games. And he got inspired by your ladies and he came over here and he got himself a job cleaning the floors. And you befriended him. And you brought him in as the speaker before camp started.”

Zeigler is one of FSU’s best-known professors, building relationships with students and student-athletes alike. A fierce advocate for FSU but also those who are part of the community, Zeigler said Semrau is one of his favorites.

“Sue did not go here but she represents the finest of all that is Florida State University,” Zeigler said. “That's what coach (Bobby) Bowden taught us. That's what you taught us. That's what Lonni Alameda teaches us. That's what Mike Norvell is teaching us is that everybody is important at this university.”

Fuchs spent time roasting Semrau but also was clearly thankful for how she impacted her life. As a freshman, Fuchs contemplated a transfer and talked with Semrau. The coach’s words were soothing and encouraged Fuchs to stay at FSU.

“ ‘V, you’re so much more than a basketball player. Find ways to do little things that set you apart and make you an asset to this team and this university,’ ” Fuchs recalled. “It’s the best advice I have ever received.”

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