Claim: Sue Sylvester is played by Jane Lynch.

Susan `` Sue '' Sylvester is a fictional character of the Fox musical comedy-drama series , Glee . The character is portrayed by actress Jane Lynch , and has appeared in Glee from its pilot episode , first broadcast on May 19 , 2009 . Sue was developed by Glee creators Ryan Murphy , Brad Falchuk , and Ian Brennan . For the show 's first four seasons , Sue is the track-suit wearing coach of the William McKinley High School cheerleading squad , and a ruthless bully to both students and faculty members alike . Because her cheerleading squad competes with the glee club for the school 's limited funding , she is often at odds with the club and more particularly its director Will Schuester -LRB- Matthew Morrison -RRB- . Sue is the main antagonist throughout the series ' run . In the show 's fifth season , Sue is made the school 's new principal .   Due to Lynch 's initial limited availability , Sue was originally set to be a recurring character while Lynch was working on a Damon Wayans pilot for the American Broadcasting Company -LRB- ABC -RRB- . When that pilot fell through , Sue became a starring role . The character has been acclaimed by critics . Mary McNamara for the Los Angeles Times has written that `` Lynch alone makes Glee worth watching '' , while Entertainment Weekly Ken Tucker has called Sue `` the greatest Broadway-musical villain to ever co-star in a TV series '' . In recognition of her portrayal of Sue , Lynch won an Emmy and a Golden Globe Award .