The search to replace former San Diego State basketball coach Beth Burns may be coming to a culmination.
A cavalcade of coaching prospects has visited San Diego over the past few weeks, and Aztecs Athletics Director Rick Bay has narrowed the women’s basketball coaching prospects down to two: University of Colorado assistant coach Barb Smith and University of Wisconsin assistant Sue Semrau.
“Coaching at SDSU is a great opportunity,” Smith said. “The Aztecs have a great program and a lot of positives to look forward to.”
Smith, 32, has spent the last nine years as an assistant coach at the University of Colorado. As an assistant under head coach Ceal Barry, she helped the Buffaloes amass a 330-126 record. During her tenure, the Buffalo program has recorded six- straight 20-win seasons, including a 30-3 mark in 1994-95.
“(Coming from Colorado) is one of the best things I can bring to SDSU,” Smith said. “I come from a winning program, and I can add to the Aztecs’ current success.”
Smith is no stranger to hard work and winning. She played in one of the most successful programs in the country at Ohio State under legendary women’s basketball coach Tara VanDerveer in the early 1980s. VanDerveer is nationally renowned as one of the hardest-working coaches in the country.
Ironically, she played under Beth Burns when Burns was an assistant coach under VanDerveer. Now, Smith has the opportunity to take the job from her former coach.
“Beth was a tremendous coach,” Smith said. “She did a tremendous job at SDSU, and if I get the job, I hope I can continue the tradition.”
Another person hoping to continue the tradition is Semrau.
The 35 year-old candidate is a native of Southern California. Semrau played her final two collegiate years at the University of California San Diego after transferring from the University of Puget Sound, in Washington.
While at UCSD, Semrau was an immediate standout. She ranks 13th all-time in scoring and fourth all-time in assists. After graduating from UCSD, she earned her master’s degree from the University of Southern California. It is her Southern California connection that makes the SDSU job very attractive.
“I love the area,” Semrau said. “My family lives in Southern California, and I enjoy that area every time I go there.”
Southern California is not the only thing Semrau likes about the job at SDSU. She lists the Aztecs’ winning tradition and the new Aztec Bowl Arena as attractive parts of the job.
“The tradition that SDSU has with their student-athletes is tremendous,” Semrau said. “That is something very important to me, having good student-athletes.”
Before joining Wisconsin, Semrau served as head coach at Occidental University. While at the helm of the Division III institution, Occidental compiled a 51-47 record.
After four years at Occidental, Semrau joined Albright-Dieterle at Northern Illinois University and served as assistant at NIU for three seasons before the two moved to Wisconsin.
During her three years in Madison, the Badgers have had three-straight winning seasons, two NCAA tournament appearances and back-to-back 20-win seasons.
Though Bay was away on business and unavailable for comment, both candidates are expected to make visits to Montezuma Mesa within the week.
