The Nebraska women’s volleyball coach announced on Wednesday that after a quarter of a century with the Cornhuskers he is retiring.
Cook retires as one of the most decorated head coaches in Division-I women’s volleyball with four national championship titles and an overall record of 883-176.
‘I’ve been here for 25 years. That’s a long time to do something. It’s been a great run,’ Cook said in a statement. ‘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. 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.’
In 25 seasons at Nebraska, Cook built the Cornhuskers program to be a powerhouse in women’s volleyball, as highlighted by their four national championships, 12 NCAA semifinal appearances, nine Big 12 titles, eight NCAA finals appearances and five Big Ten titles.
‘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 continued in his statement. ‘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.’
As noted by Nebraska’s press release, Cook’s .834 career winning percentage ranks as the fifth-best winning percentage all-time for a Division I volleyball coach. Additionally, his 722-103 record at Nebraska is the best winning percentage (.875) for any Division I program over the last 25 years.
‘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,’ Nebraska director of athletics Troy Dannen said in a statement. ‘John took over one of the nation’s best programs a quarter century ago and elevated it to another level.
‘… 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 won the first of his four national championship titles at Nebraska during his first season in Lincoln back in 2000, as the Huskers defeated Wisconsin in the national championship game. Nebraska became just the second team in NCAA history to go undefeated for an entire season with a national title.
With a win over Wisconsin in the NCAA tournament quarterfinals, the Cornhuskers made their seventh appearance in the NCAA semifinals in the last 10 years. Nebraska’s 33 wins this past season tied the program record for most wins in a season since its 2000 national championship team.
Cook’s legacy at Nebraska goes beyond the court as he has helped grow the game of volleyball in the state of Nebraska and the country. Dating back to the 2001 season, the Cornhuskers have sold out 337 consecutive regular-season home matches, the longest sellout streak in NCAA women’s athletics history.
In 2023, Cook and Nebraska set the world-record attendance for any women’s sporting event when it took on Omaha inside the Cornhuskers’ football stadium. Noted by Nebraska’s press release, eleven of the top 12 crowds in NCAA women’s volleyball history have been matches that have featured a Cook-led Nebraska team.
Before he joined Nebraska in 2000, Cook spent seven seasons at Wisconsin.
Shortly after Cook’s announcement, Nebraska announced on X (formerly Twitter) that Louisville volleyball coach Dani Busboom Kelly would succeed Cook as the program’s fourth coach. Busboom Kelly, who led the Cardinals to a national runner-up finish this year, played and coached at Nebraska.