Florida State Women’s Basketball head coach Sue Semrau has announced that Brooke Wyckoff has been elevated to Associate Head Coach after seven strong seasons as assistant coach at her alma mater.
After starring for the Seminoles from 1997-2001, including leading FSU to its first NCAA Tournament appearance under Semrau, Wyckoff has impacted the program greatly from the sidelines. Since her first season in 2011-12, the West Chester, Ohio, native has helped FSU put up record-setting defensive numbers, landed three Top-10 recruiting classes and guided several post players to outstanding careers.
“It has been amazing being part of the FSU Women’s Basketball coaching staff, and having the opportunity to work for my mentor in Sue Semrau,” Wyckoff said. “I want to thank Coach Sue for naming me as an associate head coach – it really is a tremendous honor.”
Wyckoff has taken on several roles in her coaching career at FSU – defensive game planning, recruiting, scouting, serving as the academic liaison and many other areas. She has succeeded in each one, helping the Seminoles to NCAA Tournament appearances in six straight years. Included in that time span are three NCAA Sweet 16 appearances and two Elite Eight trips.
“I am excited to continue serving Florida State University and the community of Tallahassee,” Wyckoff added. “It continues to be our goal as a program to keep developing student-athletes into strong, powerful women of character who positively impact the world around them.”
The Seminole standout raised her level of coaching when she took over defensive duties prior to the 2014-15 season, which began the greatest four-year period in program history. For three straight years, FSU held opponents to below 60 points per game, the only times the program has ever surrendered less than 60 in a season.
Florida State’s recent hallmark of exceptional rebounding has been a result of Wyckoff’s mentoring of her post players. The Seminoles have led the ACC in rebounding margin for four consecutive years and have emerged as arguably the nation’s best in the category during that time.
While she winds up playing a role in each of her student-athlete’s lives, Wyckoff has positively impacted several inside players during her time. All-Americans Natasha Howard, Adut Bulgak and Shakayla Thomas each learned under Wyckoff’s tutelage, as well as ACC award winners Chatrice White and Ivey Slaughter and defensive stalwart Ama Degbeon.
Wyckoff, who played professionally in the WNBA and Spain for many years, developed a fluency in Spanish. Her ability to connect with international players was a driving force behind three-time All-American guard Leticia Romero feeling right at home in Tallahassee.
Wyckoff continues to make progress in signing players from her state of Ohio that house tremendous basketball talent. McDonald’s All-America forward Valencia Myers, a Solon, Ohio, native, is part of a five-member 2018 recruiting class that is ranked fourth by ESPNW.
Two years ago, rising juniors Nicki Ekhomu and Nausia Woolfolk as well as rising redshirt sophomore Iho Lopez were part of a 2016 recruiting class also ranked in the Top-5 by ESPNW.
Wyckoff has made significant strides away from the court as well. She helped start Moms in Coaching, an organization that meets every year at the NCAA Women’s Final Four to discuss the issues that mothers face trying to raise their children while coaching.
She is also the program’s academic liaison, and has witnessed Florida State either lead or tie for the lead in All-ACC Academic Team selections in each of the past three years.
Wyckoff’s 1,350 career points is the 14th-most in school history and her 804 rebounds rank seventh. She ranks No. 2 at FSU in career blocks with 209. She averaged 12.4 points and 7.4 rebounds while starting all 109 games she played in her career.
Perhaps most importantly, Wyckoff was the cornerstone of the Seminoles’ first winning season in nine years as the team posted a 19-12 record in 2001 and finished fourth in the ACC. That season culminated in the school’s first trip to the NCAA Tournament in 10 years and All-America honors for Wyckoff, which was the first national accolade for an FSU women’s basketball player since 1993.
http://seminoles.com/wyckoff-named-associate-head-coach/
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