Introductory press conferences are supposed to be about the future, and Brooke Wyckoff certainly addressed that topic Wednesday when discussing her aspirations as Florida State's new women's basketball coach.

But it would be impossible for Wyckoff to step into this new role -- one for which she has been preparing for more than half of her life -- without first acknowledging the past.

How she committed to Florida State as a 16-year-old prep basketball star in Cincinnati. How she played for Sue Semrau, earning All-America honors in 2001, and later served on Semrau's coaching staff for the past 11 years.

And how she wants nothing more than to carry on the tradition and legacy of excellence Semrau cultivated over the past quarter-century.

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Wyckoff, who was introduced as head coach on her 42nd birthday, choked back tears several times during her press conference. But she seemed particularly emotional when publicly addressing Semrau, who was sitting at the edge of the front row.

"It is my absolute privilege to take everything that you've instilled in me and this program and this university -- and the lives of each of your players -- and carry that torch and continue to pay it forward," Wyckoff said. "That's why I want to do this. Because of what you've done."

Wyckoff and Semrau both wiped away tears of joy throughout the press conference.

While most FSU supporters -- and many in the college basketball community -- expected Wyckoff would be tabbed as Semrau's replacement, it apparently wasn't a foregone conclusion.

Once Semrau told Athletics Director Michael Alford of her plan to retire, he assured her he would seriously consider Wyckoff but that he also wanted to check out the national landscape to see if there were better candidates.

And as confident as she was that Wyckoff would win out in the end, Semrau said she agreed that was the best course of action for the program.

"I was really excited that Michael was like, 'Well, let's look nationally,'" Semrau said. "So for him to look nationally and say, 'Oh yeah, she's the one.' ... When I heard, I was absolutely thrilled. And even more at peace with my decision."

Alford, who was making his first head coaching hire at FSU since being introduced in December, said Wyckoff checked all the boxes he's looking for in a head coach. And the fact that she had been right here helping Semrau build the Seminoles into a national power made it a natural fit.

"Some programs need a transformation," Alford said. "Some programs need a transition. This program has been to the NCAA Tournament 15 of the last 16 years."

Alford said he was already impressed by watching Wyckoff in action, but the interview process sealed the deal: "You saw energy, excitement, passion, and most importantly, you saw pride in the Seminoles."

Wyckoff isn't entirely new to the role of head coach. She served in an interim capacity during the 2020-21 season while Semrau spent time with her mother, who was battling cancer in Washington state.

"It gave me a taste of what it really is to be a head coach," Wyckoff said. "Which is not just being out there on the sideline and calling plays. It's so much more than that."

Wyckoff has believed for years she would one day be a Division-I head coach, and she has had opportunities through the years to work with other programs.

For her first full-time head coaching job to come at her alma mater -- the school she first committed to as a player 26 years ago -- had her, at times, grasping to find the right words.

"Florida State is who I am, honestly," Wyckoff said. "And this opportunity was worth waiting for."

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