“I’ve had more fun coaching this group over the last two years than I can remember,” John Cook said at his retirement press conference. So it was no surprise that saying goodbye to the 68-year-old at Dani Busboom Kelly’s welcome celebration was no easy task for any of the Huskers. The former Nebraska Huskers coach also took his time to wave goodbye for one last time.

Cook stood in the same spot from where he had posted a picture ahead of the DBK’s welcome celebration, but this time Harper Murray was the one behind the camera. Cook’s favorite pupil helped her former head coach post one last TikTok video from the Bob Devaney Center. However, Coach Cook hoped to lighten up the somber mood by cracking a joke in the caption.

John Cook’s light-hearted jibe at Harper Murray

Never one to miss an opportunity to crack a joke, the TikTok famous volleyball coach injected some humor in an otherwise gloomy goodbye. Addressing Harper Murray in the caption, the AVCA Coach of the Year wrote: “Now Harper can’t force me into TikToks anymore,” in the caption. Back in 2024, with Nebraska getting a partnership with Seager, Cook was dealt with a bigger surprise. He had a TikTok account, and it had over 151,000 views!

With fans enquiring about his entry onto the social media platform, he revealed the true mastermind: Harper Murray. “Apparently Harper manages my TikTok account. I didn’t even know I had TikTok on my phone. They grabbed my phone and then TikTok happened. …But hey, if they like it, I like it.” A year later and Cook can’t wait to get away from making videos for the platform. However, don’t be fooled by the veteran coach’s words because the reality is quite different.

Harper Murray discussed John Cook’s positive impact on her life with The Athletic. The publication revealed that while the 19y-year-old was the one who opened and managed Cook’s account, the volleyball legend took a liking to filming TikToks with Murray and the rest of her teammates. “He’s always asking what we’re going to do next?” Murray told The Athletic.

“He loves it,” the outside hitter added. And why would he? Making videos with the Huskers gave the national championship-winning coach another avenue to connect with his players. Cook came to love the off-court activity and so did the fans because over 100,000 of them subscribed to the 68-year-old’s TikTok page, which drew millions of views. Unsurprisingly, it was difficult for Murray to put into words how much she’d miss it all.

Harper Murray’s emotional tribute, and a promise to her coach

When speaking about his retirement, John Cook confessed “his biggest worry was Harper,” and so she became the first Husker to find out. “I just burst out in tears… He’s done a lot for me, and I honestly, I was in shock,” Murray said during their latest press conference. That state of shock came through in the tribute Murray wrote on social media.

“It’s truly almost impossible to put into words how much he means to me,” John Cook’s favorite pupil wrote on Instagram. In her lengthy post about the three-time AVCA Coach of the Year winner, Murray expressed gratitude but also admitted waiting to “yell” at the coach for being too harsh at times. However, at the end of the day, she knew Cook had her best intentions in mind.

And while Cook no longer coached Murry and the Husker, the outside hitter remembered the promise she made to the legendary coach. “I promised Coach I would bring a National Championship trophy back to Bob Devaney, and although I can’t do that with him, I now have the opportunity to do it for him in my next two years here.” added Murray.

So as John Cook prepares to move to Wyoming, to spend time with his grandkids, this may very well be the last TikTok with Murray for a long time. However, Murry and her fellow Huskers will continue to pursue their dream of winning another NCAA title and making their former coach proud.