Olympian Jordan Larson Breaks Down Her Coaching Approach for Nebraska Huskers’ Near-Perfect 2023 Season

“When I gave John Cook a call about three or four years ago, kicking the tires about coming back to Nebraska volleyball to coach, I wasn’t sure if he had a spot for me, but I knew I’d do whatever it took to get back to the place where it all started for me.” These are the words of Jordan Larson, who finally joined Nebraska Huskers as a coach in June 2023.

The addition of the reigning Olympic gold medalist has proved to be very valuable for the Nebraska Huskers. While the Huskers couldn’t win the NCAA title, they still reached the finals with just one loss in the regular season. Opening up her bag of tricks, Larson recently revealed the coaching approach that helped her aid Nebraska in this success.

The less is more approach by Joran Larson

Speaking to Huskers.com, Larson revealed that she used a valuable concept to coach the Nebraska Huskers that she picked up from her coaches. She said, “To be honest with you, some of the greatest coaches I’ve ever had the privilege of playing for allowed the athletes to problem-solve themselves.

She further added, “I think there’s something to be said about getting the players to think critically about the game, then finding that balance of adding things here and there as a coach,” noted Larson. The Olympic gold medalist called this the ‘less is more’ approach, which allowed more room for the players to expand on their own. 

While this was an important step in coaching, she also mentioned another important element of her approach. Although Jordan’s volleyball experience makes her a great coach, it could have easily turned into a potential barrier between her and the players. However, Larson explained how she connected with the players in a way that didn’t make her status a problem for the Nebraska Huskers.

We, the Nebraska Huskers, not me the Olympic champion

Mentioning her attitude towards the Nebraska Huskers players, Larson noted, “When I have my coaching hat on, my playing career isn’t something I’m focusing on, and that’s what I want the players to understand as well. I’ve been blessed to accomplish some amazing feats in this sport, but at the end of the day, I’m just Jordan, right?”

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Larson said that she wanted the Husker girls to see that she is an approachable figure for any sort of help. With the success of the Nebraska Huskers in 2023, it can be safely said that Larson established the secure relationship she wanted with her students. The Olympic champ is now looking forward to the 2024 season and aiming for a title win this time. Will Nebraska be able to become national champs for the sixth time this year?

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