FSU's Semrau taking season off to care for mother

Longtime Florida State women's basketball coach Sue Semrau is stepping away from the court for the 2020-21 season to help her mother in her battle with ovarian cancer.

Semrau wrote an open letter to "the Seminole Family" on Tuesday, explaining the difficulty of traveling back and forth from Tallahassee to her hometown of Seattle during the COVID-19 pandemic.

"I've prayerfully wrestled with how I can meet my family's needs and continue to lead our team," she wrote. "In these uncertain times, I haven't found an answer that works for everyone, but I always preach that family comes first."

Semrau, 58, has coached the Seminoles for 23 seasons, earning national Coach of the Year honors in 2014-15 and compiling a 453-257 record with 15 NCAA Tournament appearances.

Associate head coach Brooke Wyckoff will serve as the interim coach.

Semrau said she would voluntarily forfeit her salary to help "offset COVID-19-related budget cuts" in the athletic department. She said she expects to return to her position in April 2021.

(Field Level Media)