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John Cook (coach)

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John Cook
Current position
TitleHead coach
TeamNebraska
ConferenceBig Ten
Record722–103 (.875)
Annual salary$825,000
Biographical details
Born (1956-04-19) April 19, 1956 (age 68)
Chula Vista, California, U.S.
Alma materSan Diego
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1981–1988Francis Parker HS
1983–1984UCSD (asst.)
1989–1991Nebraska (asst.)
1992–1998Wisconsin
1999Nebraska (AHC)
2000–presentNebraska
National
1992USA (asst.)
Head coaching record
Overall883–176 (.834)
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
4 National (2000, 2006, 2015, 2017)

9 Big 12 (2000, 2001, 2002, 2004-2008, 2010)

6 Big Ten (1997, 2011, 2016, 2017, 2023, 2024)
Awards
3x AVCA National Coach of the Year (2000, 2005, 2023)

6x AVCA Region Coach of the Year (1997, 2000, 2005, 2008, 2016, 2023)
4x Big Ten Coach of the Year (1997, 2016, 2017, 2023)
4x Big 12 Coach of the Year (2001, 2005, 2008, 2010)
Volleyball Magazine Coach of the Year (2008)
USA Volleyball All-Time Great Coach Award (2008)

AVCA Hall of Fame (2017)

John G. Cook (born April 19, 1956) is an American volleyball coach who is the head coach of the Nebraska Cornhuskers women's college volleyball team. In twenty-five seasons at Nebraska, he has led the Cornhuskers to four national championships (2000, 2006, 2015, 2017) and fifteen conference titles. Prior to Nebraska, Cook served as head coach of the Wisconsin Badgers for seven seasons. He earned his 800th career win in 2022, and ranks twelfth all-time in coaching wins in major college volleyball history.[1] Cook is a three-time AVCA National Coach of the Year.

Early life

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Cook attended Francis Parker School in San Diego, where he excelled on the basketball team.[2] He went on to play college basketball for the San Diego Toreros, but left the team when the program moved up to NCAA Division I.[2] Cook graduated from the University of San Diego in 1979, earning a bachelor's degree in history. He received a master's degree in teaching and coaching effectiveness from San Diego State University in 1991.

Coaching career

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Early career

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After finishing his undergraduate degree, Cook took a job teaching geography at his high school alma mater Francis Parker School, a private institution in San Diego. The job required him to coach three girls' sports — basketball, softball, and volleyball – in addition to his teaching duties. According to ESPN journalist Elizabeth Merrill, "he knew little about volleyball, and had to read books to get a grasp on the basics." Cook proved a quick learner; he had a 162–18 record in six seasons as Parker's volleyball coach, which included a ninety-match winning streak and two state championships.[3]

While still coaching at Parker, Cook served as the head assistant coach at UC San Diego in 1983 and 1984, where he aided the Tritons to a second-place national finish in 1983 and an NCAA Division III national championship the next year. He was hired as an assistant coach at Nebraska in 1989.

Wisconsin

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Cook was hired as Wisconsin's fifth full-time head coach in 1992, and three years later won the program's second National Invitational Volleyball Championship. He was named Big Ten Co-Coach of the Year and AVCA District 2 Coach of the Year after leading the Badgers to a share of the 1997 Big Ten title and school-record 30–3 record. The Badgers advanced to a postseason tournament in each of Cook's final six years at the school, including five NCAA Division I tournament appearances. Cook coached four All-Americans, nine AVCA All-District award winners, and eleven All-Big Ten honorees during his tenure at UW. Cook accepted an assistant coaching position at Nebraska following the 1998 season, with the understanding he would succeed the retiring Terry Pettit in 2000. Cook departed Wisconsin as the school's all-time wins leader, with a record of 161–73 across seven seasons.

Nebraska

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Cook succeeded Terry Pettit as the head coach at Nebraska in 2000; NU went 34–0 and won its second national championship in Cook's first season. Over the following twenty-three seasons he has guided the Huskers to three more national titles (2006, 2015, 2017) and seven other national semifinal appearances. Cook has made the NCAA tournament in each of his years at Nebraska, continuing the Cornhuskers' streak of appearing in every NCAA tournament since 1982. Cook was named AVCA Division I National Coach of the Year in 2000, 2005, and 2023 and has won conference coach of the year six times across Nebraska's participation in the Big 12 and Big Ten. He was awarded the USA Volleyball All-Time Great Coach Award in 2008 and was inducted into the AVCA Hall of Fame in 2017.

Cook has coached three AVCA National Players of the Year at NU – (Greichaly Cepero in 2000, Christina Houghtelling in 2005 and Sarah Pavan in 2006). Pavan also won the Honda-Broderick Cup in 2007 as the Collegiate Female Athlete of the Year. In 2023, Cook and Nebraska hosted Omaha at Memorial Stadium in what was termed "Volleyball Day in Nebraska"; the event's official attendance was 92,003, the highest ever both for Memorial Stadium and any women's sporting event.[4]

Personal life

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Cook is the great grandson of Hazel Goes Cook, an early settler of Chula Vista, California.[5] He and his wife Wendy, a former two-time All-America setter at San Diego State, are the parents of daughter Lauren and son Taylor. They own a horse named Bud. Lauren was the starting setter for UCLA during her freshman season in 2009, and garnered National Freshman of the Year honors before transferring to Nebraska and finishing her college career there.[6][7]

Head coaching record

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Statistics overview
Season Team Overall Conference Standing Postseason
Wisconsin Badgers (Big Ten Conference) (1992–1998)
1992 Wisconsin 14–17 9–11 7th
1993 Wisconsin 19–13 11–9 5th NCAA Division I second round
1994 Wisconsin 21–12 11–9 5th NCAA Division I first round
1995 Wisconsin 22–15 9–11 7th
1996 Wisconsin 25–8 13–7 5th NCAA Division I Regional Semifinal
1997 Wisconsin 30–3 19–1 T–1st NCAA Division I Regional Final
1998 Wisconsin 30–5 17–3 2nd NCAA Division I Regional Final
Wisconsin: 161–73 (.688) 89–51 (.636)
Nebraska Cornhuskers (Big 12 Conference) (2000–2010)
2000 Nebraska 34–0 20–0 1st NCAA Division I Champion
2001 Nebraska 31–2 20–0 1st NCAA Division I Semifinal
2002 Nebraska 31–2 20–0 1st NCAA Division I Regional Final
2003 Nebraska 28–5 17–3 2nd NCAA Division I Regional Semifinal
2004 Nebraska 30–2 20–0 1st NCAA Division I Regional Final
2005 Nebraska 33–2 19–1 1st NCAA Division I Runner-up
2006 Nebraska 33–1 19–1 1st NCAA Division I Champion
2007 Nebraska 30–2 19–1 T–1st NCAA Division I Regional Final
2008 Nebraska 31–3 18–2 T–1st NCAA Division I Semifinal
2009 Nebraska 26–7 16–4 3rd NCAA Division I Regional Final
2010 Nebraska 29–3 19–1 1st NCAA Division I Regional Semifinal
Nebraska Cornhuskers (Big Ten Conference) (2011–Present)
2011 Nebraska 25–5 17–3 1st NCAA Division I second round
2012 Nebraska 26–7 15–5 T–2nd NCAA Division I Regional Final
2013 Nebraska 26–7 16–4 2nd NCAA Division I Regional Final
2014 Nebraska 23–10 14–6 4th NCAA Division I Regional Final
2015 Nebraska 32–4 17–3 2nd NCAA Division I Champion
2016 Nebraska 31–3 18–2 1st NCAA Division I Semifinal
2017 Nebraska 32–4 19–1 T–1st NCAA Division I Champion
2018 Nebraska 29–7 15–5 T–3rd NCAA Division I Runner-up
2019 Nebraska 28–5 17–3 T–2nd NCAA Division I Regional Final
2020 Nebraska 16–3 14–2 3rd NCAA Division I Regional Final
2021 Nebraska 26–8 15–4 2nd NCAA Division I Runner-up
2022 Nebraska 26–6 16–4 2nd NCAA Division I Regional Semifinal
2023 Nebraska 33–2 19–1 1st NCAA Division I Runner-up
2024 Nebraska 33–3 19–1 T–1st NCAA Division I Semifinal
Nebraska: 722–103 (.875) 438–57 (.885)
Total: 883–176 (.834)

      National champion         Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion         Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion       Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

Awards and honors

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Single-season awards

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  • AVCA Division I Central Region Coach of the Year: 1997, 2000, 2005, 2008, 2016, 2023
  • AVCA National Coach of the Year: 2000, 2005, 2023
  • Big Ten Coach of the Year: 1997 (co), 2016, 2017, 2023
  • Big 12 Coach of the Year: 2001, 2005, 2008, 2010
  • Volleyball Magazine Coach of the Year: 2008

Career awards

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  • USA Volleyball All-Time Great Coach (2008)
  • AVCA Hall of Fame (2017)

Career achievements

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  • 4 national championships
  • 8 national finals
  • 12 national semifinals
  • 14 conference championships
  • 21 top-ten finishes
  • 66 All-Americans coached

References

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  1. ^ "Huskers sweep Spartans for Cook's 800th career win". KOLN. September 24, 2022.
  2. ^ a b Monahan, Terry (August 6, 1987). "County volleyball emerging from LA's shadow (II)". Times-Advocate. p. 36. Retrieved December 16, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ Merrill, Elizabeth (August 29, 2023). "How Nebraska volleyball plans to pack Memorial Stadium". ESPN.com. Retrieved August 29, 2023.
  4. ^ Bill Wilson (7 December 2018). "Mexico 1971: When women's football hit the big time". BBC News. Retrieved 9 September 2023.
  5. ^ "Wendy Lynn Wheat becomes bride of John Goes Cook II". Chula Vista Star-News. October 15, 1981. p. 37. Retrieved December 16, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ "Player Bio: Lauren Cook - UCLA Official Athletic Site". Archived from the original on 2012-03-08. Retrieved 2009-12-20.
  7. ^ "Lauren Cook - 2012 - Volleyball".
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