Basketball

Siena Heights’ Sue Syljebeck steps down as women’s basketball coach and into bigger role

Published

5 months ago

June 19, 2024

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Siena Heights’ Sue Syljebeck steps down as women’s basketball coach and into bigger role

ADRIAN — The winningest coach in Siena Heights University women’s basketball history is stepping into an expanded athletic director role, which will result in the first new head coach in the program in 20 years.

Sue Syljebeck has been promoted to Vice President of Athletics by SHU.

Candice Leatherwood, a Siena Heights graduate college alum and former assistant coach under Syljebeck, is the new head coach.

“I am thankful for the opportunity Dr. (Douglas) Palmer (president of Siena Heights University) has offered me and am excited to be a part of the executive leadership team,” Syljebeck said. “I look forward to advancing the athletic department even further and creating more fundraising opportunities.”

Syljebeck has the most career wins in SHU women’s basketball program history with a career record of 386-223 and the most successful coach in Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference history at 231-130.

Syljebeck’s teams have had seven appearances at the NAIA Women’s Basketball National Tournament, with their most recent appearance happening in the 2023-24 season. In March 2014, Syljebeck’s team advanced to the Sweet 16 round in the NAIA tournament. Syljebeck finishes her time in the coaching profession after tying the school’s single-season record with 27 wins in 2023-24; she won 20 games in the WHAC her final year – the most in program history.

She has coached several NAIA First, Second, and Third-Team All-Americans, and six players have been Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) All-America honorable mentions under Syljebeck’s tenure.

In 2019, she was named interim athletic director and accepted the position as AD in 2020 while continuing to coach.

Leatherwood comes to SHU after three years as an assistant coach at Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, Connecticut. She was a grad assistant for Syljebeck in 2021 before returning to Connecticut.

As an assistant coach at Sacred Heart, she assisted the team with defensive development, handled incoming freshmen compliance and applications, developed the guards and assisted in scouting, game and practice planning, on-court coaching and skill development.

“I am extremely excited for Candice to lead our program into the next chapter,” Syljebeck said. “With Candice formerly on staff, she will be able to take a part of what we have done here in the past 20 years as well as bring her own leadership style and philosophy to make it even better. Candice has a passion for young adults and basketball and is a great teacher. I know Siena Heights women’s basketball program will be in good hands.”