It’s a new dawn for the Nebraska Huskers. After more than two decades at the helm of the Huskers’ volleyball program, coach John Cook announced his decision to step down from his post. While for Coach Cook, it was an emotional rollercoaster to take the decision, a quivering thought also unnerved him just moments after going public with his thoughts about handing over the baton to someone else.
From the iconic Sarah Pavan and Olympic medalists Justine Wong-Ornates and Jordan Larson to fresh alum Lexi Rodriguez, generations of incredible athletes have passed through the Lincoln campus under Cook’s watchful eyes. Over the years, John had become almost synonymous with the Huskers’ volleyball program, which he took to unforeseen heights during his tenure. And yet, even he feared, at least once, that his departure might irreversibly damage Nebraska’s dominance in the collegiate scene.
On January 30, the official Big Ten Volleyball Instagram account shared snippets from the former Nebraska coach’s recent press meet where Cook dropped the bomb about his retirement. In the clip, the veteran coach could be heard talking about how he first broke the news to outside hitter Harper Murray. He admitted it was an emotional moment for her, which also made his conversations with the other athletes much easier. But one specific thing made his eyebrows clench with anxiety.
“Their first reaction was, ‘We’re going to meet’. I didn’t know what they were meeting about. I was like, ‘Are they gonna start talking about going to the portal, or what?’,” John Cook said with a sheepish smile, only to be glad to know that the athletes were talking about giving him a special tribute on his way out and promising to keep in touch with him.
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The post Coach John Cook Reveals Moment of Scare After Announcing Nebraska Players About His Retirement: “Didn’t Know What They Were Meeting For” appeared first on EssentiallySports.
