Legendary Nebraska volleyball coach John Cook announces retirement

John Cook, who’s been the head coach of Nebraska’s women’s volleyball team since 2000 and won four national championships, is retiring.

In a statement released on Nebraska’s athletics website, Cook, who took over the Cornhuskers program after serving as Wisconsin’s head coach for seven seasons, noted that 25 years was “a long time to do something” and added, “It’s been a great run.”

“I want to thank my family for their support, and I want to thank Bill Byrne and Terry Pettit for giving me the opportunity to be the Nebraska volleyball coach,” Cook said. “I’ve had the opportunity to work with some great coaches and staff over the years, and I’m forever grateful for how hard they worked and for how much they gave to Nebraska volleyball.”

“For me personally, the greatest accomplishment in coaching is seeing former players go into coaching or other careers and taking the lessons they’ve learned from being a Nebraska volleyball player and applying it to their everyday lives,” he added. “There is no greater reward in coaching than that. Lastly and most importantly, I want to thank the fans for always supporting Nebraska volleyball. I’ve always said to ‘Dream Big’, and we’ve dreamed bigger than any volleyball program in the history of the world.”

Troy Dannen, Nebraska’s Director of Athletics, issued a statement praising Cook’s work, saying “John Cook leaves a legacy of excellence that places him alongside a very small group of coaches who can be considered the greatest in college athletics history, regardless of sport,”

“John took over one of the nation’s best programs a quarter century ago and elevated it to another level,” Dannen added. “The national championships, Final Four appearances, conference championships, All-Americans and Olympians speak for themselves, but John’s impact goes beyond the on-court accolades. Behind his vision, Nebraska volleyball has become arguably the most successful women’s program in the country which has helped the sport of volleyball reach a popularity level it has never seen before.”

Cook’s time with the Cornhuskers could hardly have started better. In his first year with Nebraska, Cook not only led the Huskers to a national championship but did so with a perfect 34-0 record. While that was his only perfect season in Lincoln, the Cornhuskers won national championships in 2006, 2015 and 2017. Nebraska also was a national runner-up in 2005, 2018, 2021 and 2023. In that 2023 season, Nebraska took the University of Nebraska Omaha in Lincoln’s Memorial Stadium, the home venue of Nebraska’s football team. That match drew 92,003 fans, setting a stadium attendance record.

Taking over for Cook will be Dani Busboom Kelly, who played at Nebraska under Cook and has coached at Louisville for the last eight seasons.