John Cook’s retirement is one to remember. He was more than just a coach, he was a father figure to the girls on the team and a leader to many. Many Nebraska volleyball supporters took this statement as a surprise when he announced his retirement on January 29th.

During Cook’s press conference he stated, “I called in Harper first, because I knew that would be the toughest one.”

When the time came to tell the team about his retirement, Cook knew that Harper Murray would take it the hardest. After he told her, he stated that telling the whole team was a bit easier. Cook kept telling himself he was giving the girls a pre-game pep talk. All of the girls responded well, and made a commitment to help Dani Busboom Kelly instead of dwelling on the news.

Throughout Cook’s coaching career, he achieved numerous accomplishments. Some of those recognitions include four national championship teams, Big 10 and 12 coach of the year, 722 career wins (at Nebraska), and much more. It is clear that he has made a huge impact on Nebraska volleyball.

Dani Busboom Kelly, the former Louisville volleyball coach, is taking the position of head coach at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. She was a former Nebraska volleyball player herself, and was the assistant coach for a while as well. Cook states that Busboom Kelly is the perfect person to take over Nebraska volleyball.

According to huskers.com, Cook said, “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.”

Cook enjoys seeing his former athletes move up in life using the valuable lessons he taught them. He states that there is no greater reward in coaching than that.

It’s safe to say that Cook’s legacy will forever be remembered and it will continue to inspire young athletes.