Nebraska volleyball coach John Cook retires after 25-year-old races; Dani Busboom Kelly to take over

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Lincoln, Neb.-Fire-Gang’s national master coach John Cook announced his retirement Wednesday as coach of Nebraska Women’s Volleyball Team after 25 years.

Nebraska native Dani Bus boom Kelly, the Louisville coach for the past eight years, replaces Cook. Bus boom Kelly, 39, is a former player and assistant coach under Cook for Huskers. She was this year’s AVCA National Coach and led Cardinals to the National Championship match last month.

Cook, 68, took Huskers to the last four 12 times and ended four times as NCAA-Runner-Up In addition to winning titles in 2000, 2006, 2015 and 2017. He coached three members of the Olympic Gold Medal in 2020 Gold Medal Teams and help Nebraska with skipping previously unclear obstacles in women’s athletics.

Under Cook’s direction, the huskers attracted a quantity of 92,003 fans in August 2023 to an outdoor match at the school’s football stadium and set a global participation record for a woman’s sporting event.

“I’ve been here for 25 years,” Cook said in a statement released by the school. “It’s a long time to do something.”

For 32 years as a college coach, Cook ended with an 883-176 record and the fifth best winning percentage of the sport. He won 15 conference titles and was a three-time national coach of the year.

Nebraska Volleyball turned a profit of $ 1.34 million by 2023-24, making it the only Big Ten Women sport that made a profit in the financial year. It generated more than $ 7 million in revenue, so far unseen in its sport.

“John Cook leaves a legacy of expertise that places him together with a very small group of coaches that can be considered the greatest in college -athletics history, regardless of sports,” said Nebraska Athletic Director Troy Formen. “John took over one of the country’s best programs a quarter of a century ago and raised it to another level.

“The National Championships, Final Four appearances, conference championships, allisers and Olympiers speak for themselves. But John’s impact goes beyond the recognitions on the field. Behind its vision, Nebraska has undoubtedly become 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. “

Bus boom Kelly, from Cortland, Neb., Won 203 of 247 matches in Louisville, including a 120-15 brand in the last four years, the second best winning percentage nationally during this span. Her team has played twice for the national championship and advanced three times to Final Four while winning four ACC kroner.

She started at Libero for Nebraska on her national championship team in 2006 and coached with Cook with Huskers when they won the title in 2015.

“The opportunity to come home to Nebraska is more than a dream,” said bus boom Kelly.

“I’ve had chills to listen to the roaring of the Coliseum and now Devaney since I was 9 years old. Nebraska is the biggest place in the world to play volleyball and I am honored to be part of it again. “

Bus boom Kelly accepted a six-year contract. She will be introduced on Thursday in a public event at the Devaney Center, the 8,000-seat Arena, where Nebraska has sold out 339 consecutive matches-a NCAA record for all women’s sports.

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(Photo: Steven Branscombe / Getty Images)