Husker volleyball coach John Cook signs five-year contract extension
By Aaron Bonderson 
, Reporter/Producer Nebraska Public Media
29 de Mayo de 2024 a las 12:21 ·
The Huskers have agreed to a five-year contract with head volleyball coach John Cook. The contract runs through January 2029.
Cook, who has led Nebraska to four national championships, will receive an annual pay increase of $75,000 per year, according to Husker Athletics. His total yearly pay will increase to $825,000 starting in June.
The Huskers’ head coach will also receive a retention bonus of $70,000 at the beginning of July.
Cook took over the program in 2000. Since then, Nebraska has been one of the most successful programs in the country. The Cornhuskers have finished inside the top-10 rankings in 21 different seasons under Cook.
“We are fortunate to have John Cook leading our volleyball program,” Nebraska Director of Athletics, Troy Dannen said in a news release. “He is the most accomplished coach in the nation, and one of the top coaches in the history of American volleyball. John's expectations are for nothing less than excellence in each and every endeavor, and his record reflects that."
As a head coach, Cook ranks sixth among the winningest coaches in NCAA history. In 2017, Cook was inducted into the American Volleyball Coaches Association Hall of Fame.
In a release, Cook said he didn't want his salary to gradually increase year-to-year. Instead, he wants a horse.
"I am very grateful to Troy and our administration for their support and confidence in our Husker volleyball program," Cook said. "When Troy and I talked about my contract, I proposed that instead of an annual escalating salary that some coaches do, it would mean a great deal to me if the Nebraska Athletic Department would consider supporting me in purchasing a horse out in central Nebraska that I've had my eye on. The horse, called No. 415, was born and bred at the famous Pitzer Ranch in Ericson and is a once-in-a-lifetime performance horse. He was purchased as a weanling by Mark Wray and then trained by the Wray family. Troy loved the idea and while they couldn't specifically write that into the contract, the retention bonus will be used for No. 415. I am honored that Troy was supportive of my idea and it means a lot to me. We are all looking forward to what should be an exciting 2024 season."
The longtime Husker coach also helped launch the first-ever Volleyball Day in Nebraska last August, which drew in a world-record crowd for a women's sporting event at 92,003 people. That team finished the season 33-2 and national runner-up.
Read or listen to previous coverage of Husker Volleyball: