Sue Behme begins her fifth year at the United States Coast Guard Academy on August 17, 2025. 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 will mark Coach Behme’s 32nd year as a Collegiate Head Coach and her 20th as a Physical Education Instructor.
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Since Coach Behme’s arrival, the Coast Guard Bears have achieved several program milestones. In 2025, Coast Guard went 10-6 overall and 7-3 in-conference while earning the #4 seed in the NEWMAC Conference Tournament. The Bear’s lost to #13 nationally ranked Babson College in the semifinals by a score of 16-14. The Bear’s earned four All-Conference nods, Ella Campbell and Rowan Walsh making 1st Team and Caitlyn Coates and Abby McAllister making 2nd Team. Ella Campbell was also selected NEWMAC Women’s Lacrosse Rookie of the Year and garnished national recognition when she was selected by USA Lacrosse as a 2025 Honorable All-American. This is the first All-American recognition in program history. Lastly, the 2025 academic year will mark the 4th year in a row and the program will receive IWLCA Academic Honor Squad recognition.
The 2024 season propelled Coast Guard into the 2025 season. 2024 was a historic season ending with a final record of 13-7 overall and 7-3 in-conference with both winning totals being program records. The team defeated Smith in the opening round of the conference tournament before falling in the semifinals to Babson, who were slotted into the poll's top spot. During the 2024 season and 2023 season, Coast Guard was 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 2024, Mia Becker was recognized as the first IWLCA All-Region player in program history and goalie Maici Mintchwarner earned the #1 D3 NCAA Statistical Ranking in Save Percentage. In 2024, Mia Becker, Caitlyn Coates, and Abby McAllister were named 1st Team All-Conference. Â In 2023, Mia Becker was named 1st Team All-Conference, Gianna Cascio was named to the 2nd Team and Coach Behme earned her 200th career win as a women's lacrosse coach against Emerson College.
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 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.
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.
Academically, the Rochester 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 were named to the IWLCA Academic Squad earning a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher and countless players were named to the Liberty League All-Academic Team.
Coach Behme 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 nine seasons at Nazareth College. 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. Additionally, she coached seven players to All-America honors, had a Division III Goalkeeper of the Year and had thirty-two Nazareth players earning All-Region honors. Behme was named the Empire 8 Coach of the Year five times. She led Nazareth to the E8 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. In 2011, Behme was inducted into the Nazareth College Hall of Fame.Â
During Behme’s time at Fresno State, the Bulldogs earned the Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association team academic award in each of their first two seasons (2008-09, 2009-10). Eleven players earned Academic All-Mountain Pacific Sports Federation honors in 2008-09 (second to Stanford) 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 Fresno State program 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 Student Athlete Night of Champions for donating more than 500 hours of community service yearly. Over 200 youngsters showed up for free clinics put on by the Fresno State coaching staff that year.
Behme’s career started as an assistant women’s lacrosse coach and assistant women’s soccer coach at Washington & Lee University in Lexington, Virginia in 1993-94. Within a year, she became 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 that was preparing to go to NCAA Varsity status.
Upon returning to NY in 1995, Behme coached soccer and lacrosse at Geneseo. She led the soccer team to a record of 38-32-1 and an ECAC Championship. She started the women’s lacrosse program 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.
Collegiately, 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.Â
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 national 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.
