John Cook (coach)

Last updated
John Cook
John Cook volleyball.png
Current position
Title Head coach
Team Nebraska
Conference Big Ten
Record689–100 (.873)
Annual salary$725,000
Biographical details
Born (1956-04-19) April 19, 1956 (age 67)
Chula Vista, California
Alma mater San Diego
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1983–1984 UCSD (asst.)
1981–1988 Francis Parker HS
1989–1991 Nebraska (asst.)
1992–1998 Wisconsin
1999Nebraska (AHC)
2000–presentNebraska
National
1992 USA (asst.)
Head coaching record
Overall850–173 (.831)
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
4x NCAA national champions (2000, 2006, 2015, 2017)

9x Big 12 regular season champions (2000–2002, 2004–2008, 2010)

5x

Contents

Big Ten regular season champions (1997, 2011, 2016, 2017, 2023)
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 University of Nebraska Cornhuskers volleyball team. Having coached at Nebraska for 24 seasons, he has led the Huskers to four national championships, in 2000 by defeating Wisconsin, in 2006 by defeating Stanford, in 2015 by defeating Texas, and in 2017 by defeating Florida. He is a three-time winner of the AVCA National Coach of the Year award. Prior to becoming head coach at Nebraska, Cook served as head coach of the Wisconsin Badgers, compiling a 161–73 record over seven seasons. On Sept. 23, 2022, he earned his 800th career coaching win, a feat only 29 other coaches in NCAA volleyball history have achieved. [1]

Early life

Cook graduated from the University of San Diego, earning his bachelor's degree in history in 1979. He completed his master's degree in teaching and coaching effectiveness from San Diego State in 1991.

Coaching career

Francis Parker School

After Cook's college graduation, he got a job teaching geography at his high school alma mater of Francis Parker School, a private institution in San Diego. The job provided him with a free apartment, but also required him to coach three girls' sports—basketball, softball, and volleyball. 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 to be a quick learner; in six seasons as Parker's volleyball coach, he had a 162–18 record, including a 90-match winning streak and two state championships. [2]

UC San Diego

While still coaching at Parker, Cook served as the head assistant coach at the University of California, San Diego from 1983 to 1984, where he aided the Tritons to a second-place national finish in 1983 and an NCAA Division III national championship the next year.

Wisconsin

John Cook was hired in 1992 to coach Wisconsin. In seven years as head coach he had a record of 161–73 before resigning to accept the Nebraska position. He was named the Big Ten Co-Coach and AVCA District 2 Coach of the Year after leading the Badgers to a share of the 1997 Big 10 title with a 19–1 mark and school-record 30–3 overall record. The Badgers advanced to a postseason tournament in Cook's final six years at the school, including NCAA appearances in 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997 and 1998. In 1995, Wisconsin won the National Invitational Volleyball Championship with a perfect 6–0 record. During his tenure at UW, he coached four All-Americans, nine AVCA All-District award winners, 11 All-Big Ten honorees, two Big Ten Freshmen of the Year, and 21 Academic All-Big 10 selections.

Nebraska

Cook succeeded Terry Pettit in 2000 as the coach at Nebraska. Cook has guided the Huskers to four national championships (2000, 2006, 2015, 2017), four national runner-up finishes (2005, 2018, 2021, 2023), and three other national semifinal appearances (2001, 2008, 2016). Cook has made the NCAA tournament in each of his years at Nebraska (the Cornhuskers have appeared in every NCAA tournament since its inception in 1982). Cook was named the AVCA Division I National Coach of the Year in 2000, 2005, and 2023, the AVCA Central Region Coach of the Year in 1997 (Wisconsin), 2000, 2005, and 2008 as well as the Big 12 Conference Coach of the Year in 2001, 2005, and 2008. After Nebraska’s switch to the Big Ten Conference in 2011, Cook has garnered Big Ten Coach of the Year honors three times, in 2016, 2017, and 2023. He was also awarded the USA Volleyball All-Time Great Coach Award in 2008. Cook was inducted into the AVCA Hall of Fame in 2017.

At Nebraska, Cook has coached three AVCA National Players of the Year (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.

Personal life

Cook and his wife Wendy, a former two-time All-America setter at San Diego State, are the parents of two children, Lauren and Taylor, and a horse named Bud. Lauren was the starting setter for UCLA during the 2009 season and garnered National Freshman of the Year honors. [3] She transferred to Nebraska in 2010 and finished her career there in 2012 as an All-American. [4]

Head coaching record

Statistics overview
SeasonTeamOverallConferenceStandingPostseason
Wisconsin Badgers (Big Ten Conference)(1992–1998)
1992Wisconsin 14–179–117th
1993Wisconsin 19–1311–95th NCAA second round
1994Wisconsin 21–1211–95th NCAA first round
1995Wisconsin 22–159–117th
1996Wisconsin 25–813–75th NCAA regional semifinals
1997Wisconsin 30–319–1T–1st NCAA regional final
1998Wisconsin 30–517–32nd NCAA regional final
Wisconsin:161–73 (.688)89–51 (.636)
Nebraska Cornhuskers (Big 12 Conference)(2000–2010)
2000Nebraska 34–020–01st NCAA national champions
2001Nebraska 31–220–01st NCAA final four
2002Nebraska 31–220–01st NCAA regional final
2003Nebraska 28–517–32nd NCAA regional semifinal
2004Nebraska 30–220–01st NCAA regional final
2005Nebraska 33–219–11st NCAA runner-up
2006Nebraska 33–119–11st NCAA national champions
2007Nebraska 30–219–1T–1st NCAA regional final
2008Nebraska 31–318–2T–1st NCAA final four
2009Nebraska 26–716–43rd NCAA regional Final
2010Nebraska 29–319–11st NCAA regional semifinal
Nebraska Cornhuskers (Big Ten Conference)(2011–Present)
2011Nebraska 25–517–31st NCAA second round
2012Nebraska 26–715–5T–2nd NCAA regional final
2013Nebraska 26–716–42nd NCAA regional final
2014Nebraska 23–1014–64th NCAA regional final
2015Nebraska 32–417–32nd NCAA national champions
2016Nebraska 31–318–21st NCAA final four
2017Nebraska 32–419–1T–1st NCAA national champions
2018Nebraska 29–715–5T–3rd NCAA runner-up
2019Nebraska 28–517–3T–2nd NCAA regional final
2020Nebraska 16–314–23rd NCAA regional final
2021Nebraska 26–815–42nd NCAA runner-up
2022Nebraska 26–616–42nd NCAA regional semifinal
2023Nebraska 33–219–11st NCAA runner-up
Nebraska:689–100 (.873)419–56 (.882)
Total:850–173 (.831)

      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

Single-season awards

Career awards

Career achievements

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References

  1. "Huskers sweep Spartans for Cook's 800th career win". KOLN. September 24, 2022.
  2. Merrill, Elizabeth (August 29, 2023). "How Nebraska volleyball plans to pack Memorial Stadium". ESPN.com. Retrieved August 29, 2023.
  3. "Player Bio: Lauren Cook - UCLA Official Athletic Site". Archived from the original on 2012-03-08. Retrieved 2009-12-20.
  4. "Lauren Cook - 2012 - Volleyball".