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Sue Behme
Sue Behme begins her third year at the United States Coast Guard Academy. Prior to coming to CGA, she spent 10 seasons as the head coach at the University of Rochester located in Rochester, New York. This year marks Coach Behme’s 30th year as a Collegiate Head Coach and her 18th as a Physical Education Instructor.
Since Coach Behme’s arrival, the Coast Guard Bears have achieved several program milestones. During the 2022 and 2023 season’s, the Bears have made semi-final appearances in the NEWMAC Conference Tournament. Five players have been selected to NEWMAC All-Conference Teams and for the first time in program history the 2022 team was recognized as an IWLCA Academic Honor Squad. In the summer of 2023, Coast Guard was once again recognized as an IWLCA Academic Honor Squad.
Over the past two seasons, Coast Guard has been ranked in the NCAA top 6 in Region II, spent time ranked #2 in NCAA statistics in clearing percentage, #18 in draw controls and #20 in scoring defense. In 2023, Coach Behme earned her 200th career win as a women's lacrosse coach.
While at Rochester, after three years of getting her feet wet, UR tripled its win total from the previous season in 2014 before earning its first winning season at 9-8 in over a decade in 2015. Behme guided Rochester into the Liberty League playoffs that season, only UR's second ever appearance in the conference tournament.
In 2020, a promising start to the year saw UR earn wins over Thiel and Nazareth along with a close loss to nationally ranked SUNY Geneseo before the Covid pandemic canceled the season. In the Thiel victory, Rochester broke team records for points and assists in a single-game. At the end of the abbreviated season, Rochester was ranked in the top-10 in Division III in shooting percentage and assists per game, while also ranking 23rd in scoring defense.
In 2017, Rochester posted a 9-6 overall record and 5-4 mark in Liberty League play, qualifying for the Liberty League playoffs for the second time in three seasons. The Yellowjackets also set a new school record allowing just 7.07 goals per game, also earning top-50 rankings in NCAA Division III in scoring defense, save percentage and fewest turnovers per game.
Academically, the team carried on its tradition of academic excellence by being recognized in nine straight years (2011-19, 2021) as an IWLCA Academic Honor Squad. Over this time, 32 student-athletes have been named to the IWLCA Academic Squad earning a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher and countless players have been named to the Liberty League All-Academic Team.
She returned to Western New York after two-plus seasons building a Division I program at Fresno State. Before heading to the West Coast, Behme coached a total of 13 seasons at SUNY Geneseo and Nazareth College. She coached at Geneseo for a four-year period, then spent nine years on the sidelines at Nazareth. She compiled a 115-39 record, including a 52-3 conference record at Nazareth and led the Golden Flyers to six NCAA Division III tournament appearances. In 2011, Behme was inducted into the Nazareth College Hall of Fame.
Behme’s success as a coach has come both on and off the field. At Fresno State, the Bulldogs earned the Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association team academic award in each of her first two seasons (2008-09, 2009-10). Eleven players earned Academic All-Mountain Pacific Sports Federation honors in 2008-09 and three were named to the IWLCA Academic Honor Roll. In the 2009-10 season, seven players earned Academic All-Mountain Pacific Sports Federation honors and two were named to the IWLCA Academic Honor Roll. Additionally, one player was named MPSF 2nd team All-Conference, the first All-Conference player in that program’s history.
Her accomplishments at Fresno State extended beyond the playing field and the classroom. For two consecutive years, the women’s lacrosse team won the Athletic Director’s Community Service Award at the SA Night of Champions for donating more than 500 hours of community service yearly. Over 200 people showed up for free clinics put on by the Fresno State coaching staff.
At Nazareth College, she coached seven players to All-America honors and had a Division III Goalkeeper of the Year. Thirty-two Nazareth players earned All-Region honors.
Behme was named the Empire 8 Coach of the Year five times. She led Nazareth to the E-8 title in 2000, 2002, 2005, and 2006 (getting an automatic NCAA bid). Nazareth earned at-large bids in 2004 and 2007. In 2006, Behme was named the New York State Coach of the Year and IWLCA Empire Region Coach of the Year.
She coached soccer at Geneseo in addition to her lacrosse duties. She led the soccer team to a record of 38-32-1 and an ECAC Championship. She started the women’s lacrosse program at Geneseo in 1996. Within three years, the Knights advanced to the SUNYAC Championship Game vs. Cortland State. Geneseo finished 9-4 and Behme was named the SUNYAC Coach of the Year.
Behme earned All-American honors in both soccer and lacrosse at Cortland State. She played on Cortland’s national championship soccer team in 1992. She was a two-time All-American in lacrosse and was chosen to compete in the North-South Senior All-Star Game in 1993. Behme graduated from Cortland in 1993 with a degree in Recreation and Leisure Studies. She holds a Master’s degree in Recreation and Leisure Studies from SUNY Brockport. Behme was inducted into the Cortland Athletics Hall of Fame in 2018.
She was an assistant women’s lacrosse coach and assistant women’s soccer coach at Washington & Lee University in Lexington, Virginia in 1993-94. She was the head women’s soccer coach and an assistant women’s basketball coach at The University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee in 1994-95. She was also the coach and advisor for the women’s lacrosse club program.
Post collegiately, Behme continued her soccer career, playing for the semi-professional Rochester Ravens in the W League from 1996-1998. Two years later, she became a professional mountain bike racer (1999-2001). She raced for Team Ted Wojcik on the professional National Off-Road Bicycle Association (NORBA) Chevy National Championship Series earning a final ranking of #23.
In 2004-05, Behme was the assistant captain for the USA National handball team. She capped her career on the national team as a starting wing in the Pan American championships in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Coach Behme's father and grandfather both served in the United States Navy. Currently, she serves in the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary.
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