It all started when the 4x NCAA champion HC John Cook suddenly retired from a winning legacy he built piece-by-piece in January. That’s when Dani Busboom Kelly, a former Nebraska Cornhusker, returned to the home ground at Lincoln. However, transitions aren’t as easy. But for the Huskers, one thing is going to be a little similar: The John Cook blueprint. You know how they say ‘If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’? 

Before she could come with her own masterplan, Dani is following the concept that Cook has refined for a quarter of a century and she agreed “It wasn’t reinventing the wheel here.” However, one thing has her attention divided. Just like back in 2022 when she was with the Louisville Cardinals, she is running the tape back again in her personal life.

In April 2022, Dani welcomed her first child– Gregory “Boone” Kelly. But consider him a lucky charm as the Cardinals reached all the way to the National Championship to end their season as a runner up. And they repeated their deep tourney again the next year until the regional finals, and then once again in 2024 when they were again NCAA runner ups. And as if to rewind it all, the Nebraska alum is going into her first HC stint at Lincoln with baby number two! But it seems like motherhood, although helping the team see the other side of Kelly, is keeping her from her duties.

Hail Varsity tossed a thoughtful question at Bergen Reilly—“Berg, I mean, one of the things that Dani talked about during her press conference was getting to know you. How’s that worked in other setting getting to know her, I mean what have you learned about her as a coach and as a person?”

And Bergen leaned into the real stuff, as she said, “Yeah, I mean, like I said, she’s my main setter coach, so we’ve had a lot of conversations. It’s just been cool to get to know her off the court a little more. Like she’s just a very down-to-earth person. We were just talking about how she’s always like she’s one of the first people out of practices because she wants to get home to her kid. So it’s kind of a little bit different.

“Coach was obviously like ‘I’ll be here until midnight if you guys want to practice until midnight.’ So it’s just cool to see that side of her. You can tell that she’s a mom. She really loves us. She cares about us and it was the same way that Coach was a grandpa… we were like his grandchildren. But you can just tell about Dani that she really cares about her players and it’s been super cool to see and just learn more about her.”

Although Kelly is leaving the practice sessions first, having to run home, which is a shift from Cook’s late-night gym sessions, you could hear the appreciation in Bergen’s voice. It’s not just volleyball drills and court talk—it’s real convos, lots of laughs, and little moments that show Dani’s not just about wins; she’s about people. But Dani’s ‘snack-in-hand, mom-on-a-mission’ vibe shows a whole new rhythm for the Huskers. However, the one she needs to look after right now is her kid.

Let’s flash it back to January—when Huskers Illustrated’s Lincoln Arneal dropped a baby bomb on X: “Dani Busboom Kelly is expecting her second child later this spring.” Fans were already riding the emotional rollercoaster post-Cook era, and boom—another twist. But honestly? DBK’s no stranger to juggling mom life and volleyball chaos. She already rocked the role of head coach and first-time mama. And here’s the kicker—this isn’t even Bergen Reilly’s first time giving Dani her flowers.

Bergen opens up about Dani Busboom Kelly and her coaching!

When a legendary coach like John Cook steps down, you kinda expect the coaching dominoes to fall, right? Assistants usually pack up and move on, but not in Nebraska. Jaylen Reyes and Kelly (Hunter) Natter stayed planted like roots in the Husker soil. Even though Cook’s sudden retirement had everyone wide-eyed, the crew rolled with it. Why? ‘Cause when a four-time national champ hand-picks a successor, you trust the vision. Now with Dani Busboom Kelly reshuffling the whole training vibe, it’s giving “new era energy”—and everyone’s kinda figuring out how to groove with it.

DBK made it clear, “That’s really important to me that every player is interacting with every coach somewhat.” Translation? No more sticking to your one coach bubble. Dani’s taken the setter squad under her full-time wing (yep, Bergen Reilly’s in good hands), while Reyes is now rolling with the liberos and Natter’s calling shots with the pin hitters.

Bergen even admitted, “Dani’s the full-time setter coach, so Kelly (Natter) will still work with us… but Dani’s like the main coach, and so that’s been fun. Kelly’s still there, and she knows how Dani wants it done. But again, just kind of change. And change can be scary, but it’s been pretty exciting so far.” Sounds like the shake-up’s more sparkly than spooky—for her, at least.

Harper Murray, on the other hand? She’s feeling the growing pains just a little. “Sometimes, like, it’s a little weird hearing Kelly, like, in my ear, like, telling me to change things, because she’s never been with me as much,” she laughed, because yeah—it’s new.

They hadn’t really worked that closely before. But she’s adapting fast, and she gets it—it’s not just the athletes adjusting. “Jaylen (Reyes) isn’t with the middles as much anymore. He was with them all the time last year,” she pointed out, showing love to the coaching crew going through the same switch-up shuffle. It’s a whole team effort, top to bottom, figuring it out together under the Devaney lights.