John Cook is retiring from coaching.

On Wednesday, the Nebraska women’s volleyball head coach announced that he is stepping down after 25 impressive years with the Cornhuskers.

Cook retires as one of the most accomplished coaches in Division I women’s volleyball history, boasting four national championships and an impressive overall record of 883 wins against 176 losses.

“Twenty-five years is a significant amount of time. It has been a wonderful journey,” Cook said in his statement. “I want to express my gratitude to my family for their unwavering support and to Bill Byrne and Terry Pettit for trusting me to lead the Nebraska volleyball program. I am thankful to have had the chance to collaborate with exceptional coaches and staff over the years; their dedication to Nebraska volleyball has been unparalleled.”

During his 25 seasons at Nebraska, Cook transformed the Cornhuskers into a dominant force in women’s volleyball, earning four national championships, making 12 semifinal appearances in the NCAA tournament, winning nine Big 12 titles, reaching the NCAA finals eight times, and claiming five Big Ten championships.

“Personally, my greatest achievement in coaching has been witnessing former players venture into coaching or other professions, applying what they’ve learned as Nebraska volleyball players to their lives,” Cook added. “There is nothing more fulfilling in coaching than witnessing that. Most importantly, I appreciate the fans for their steadfast support of Nebraska volleyball. I’ve always encouraged ‘Dream Big,’ and together we’ve achieved dreams greater than any volleyball program has ever seen.”

As highlighted in Nebraska’s press release, Cook’s .834 career winning percentage places him fifth on the all-time list for Division I volleyball coaches. Furthermore, his record of 722 wins and 103 losses at Nebraska gives him the highest winning percentage (.875) of any Division I program over the last quarter-century.

“John Cook leaves behind a legacy of excellence that positions him among the elite coaches in the history of college athletics, across all sports,” stated Troy Dannen, Nebraska’s athletic director. “He took over a top program 25 years ago and elevated it to new heights.

” Due to his vision, Nebraska volleyball has arguably become the most successful women’s program in the nation, contributing to a surge in the sport’s popularity unlike anything we’ve seen before.”

Cook secured his first national title at Nebraska in his very first season in 2000, when the Huskers triumphed over Wisconsin in the championship match, becoming only the second team in NCAA history to achieve an undefeated season with a national championship win.

With a victory over Wisconsin in the NCAA tournament quarterfinals, the Cornhuskers notched their seventh NCAA semifinal appearance in the past decade. Their 33 wins during this past season matched the program’s record for the most victories in a season since the remarkable 2000 championship team.

Cook’s impact at Nebraska extends beyond the volleyball court; he has played a significant role in promoting the sport in Nebraska and nationwide. Since the 2001 season, the Cornhuskers have sold out 337 consecutive regular-season home matches, marking the longest sellout streak in NCAA women’s sports history.

In 2023, Cook and Nebraska also set a world record for attendance at a women’s sporting event when they faced Omaha at the Cornhuskers’ football stadium. According to Nebraska’s press release, eleven of the twelve largest crowds in NCAA women’s volleyball history featured matches where Cook was the coach of Nebraska.

Before his time at Nebraska, Cook coached at Wisconsin for seven seasons.

Shortly after Cook’s retirement announcement, Nebraska shared on X (formerly Twitter) that Dani Busboom Kelly, the Louisville volleyball coach, will take over as the fourth coach in the program’s history. Busboom Kelly, who recently led the Cardinals to a national runner-up finish, is both a former player and coach at Nebraska.