Lindsay Peterson fulfilled her role as the Nebraska Huskers’ Director of Operations better than anyone would’ve expected for the last two decades. Yet in those twenty years, she never once won the Husker of the Month award. However, that finally changed in March, shortly after Coach John Cook retired after spending 25 years as the Huskers’ coach. Peterson became the glue that held it all together.
“Over the last few months, between the final four and just being John’s consigliere as he went through his decision-making process, just the fact that everything is held together in the way it’s held together… There’s probably nobody more deserving,” said Troy Dannen as he handed over the belt to Lindsay Peterson. Yet, it was equally difficult for Lindsay Peterson to keep everything from falling apart.
While John Cook’s retirement and Dani Busboom Kelly’s appointment as head coach to Nebraska’s spring success seemed flawless, it would be impossible without the director of operations. So when six months after Coach Cook’s sudden retirement, Peterson recalled the moment she learned about it. “When he gave it to me, I was like, ‘Oh, it’s real,’” said Peterson.
“He really was like family, and that’s how I view him—as a family member more than a coworker or John Cook, the coach. Talking about it didn’t make it real until he actually said, ‘I’m done,’” the veteran Husker told Nebraska Public Media. Lindsay Peterson visibly choked up as she recounted that exact moment. After all, the 69-year-old wasn’t just her co-worker but also her mentor.
Nebraska Volleyball/Instagram
Lindsay Peterson was part of the Nebraska Huskers as a player from 1999 to 2003. What’s more? She was part of the squad that helped Cook earn his first and Nebraska its second NCAA title. Seeing the three-time AVCA Coach of the Year and her mentor leave while handling the transition was anything but easy. Especially when everyone around also felt stunned.
No one was ready for John Cook’s retirement
Cook’s retirement announcement hit the volleyball world like a freight train. The only one who knew the 4x NCAA champion was planning to step down was NU’s Athletic Director, Troy Dannen. In fact, Dannen was the one who spent a week convincing Dani Busboom Kelly to take the job. The moment they sealed the deal on DBK, Cook dropped the bombshell.
So, just how unprepared was everyone at Nebraska? Well, Harper Murray and John Cook’s confessions paint the perfect picture of the retirement announcement’s effect. “I called in Harper first because I knew that would be the toughest one. I didn’t even finish to get to the T in retirement, and she was very, very emotional,” Cook revealed during his post-retirement presser.
Credits: Instagram/ Harper Murray
Having shared what Lindsay Peterson called “one of the most true forms of kind of a father-daughter relationship” with Murray, the veteran coach wanted her to know first. Meanwhile, the outside hitter was nervous before going into her coach’s office. If you’re wondering whether she had caught wind of the bad news, you’d be wrong.
Instead, Harper Murray thought she had done something wrong. “I didn’t know why he wanted me to come to his office. I always get nervous when the coaches want to meet,” Murray told Nebraska Public Media. “I just was really upset and kind of shocked,” said the senior Husker. Lindsay Peterson made sure that everything, including the transition, happened flawlessly despite the grim mood. For that alone, she deserves all the plaudits.
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