Coach John Cook shocked the volleyball community a week ago, announcing his retirement out of nowhere. While the legendary coach broke the news to the student-athletes before making it public, Harper Murray found out before her fellow Huskers. Helping Murray beat the odds at her lowest during the 2024 off-season created a special bond between Cook and the 19-year-old.

So, the 68-year-old wanted her to know even before the rest of the team. However, the outsider hitter wasn’t pleased when Cook called her to his office. Little did Murray know that she was about to receive the shock of her life. “I can’t lie. Like, when he asked me to come meet, I was mad at him for making me come to the gym on my off day,” Murray said during a press conference.

However, the outside hitter’s mood changed when she entered the office and saw the look on Coach Cook’s face. “I had never seen that look on his face,” confessed Harper Murray. Unable to decipher what was wrong, she expressed her concern, leading Cook to confess. “He ended up telling me that he was retiring, and I just burst out in tears,” said Murray.

“He’s done a lot for me, and I honestly, I was in shock,” said the 2024 BIG10 champion. Murray confessed to going into denial after hearing the news. For the next hour, Murray sat in Cook’s office trying to process what she had just heard before the rest of the team arrived. Just like that, what was supposed to be a relaxing off day, turned into an emotional ordeal.

And why wouldn’t it? Harper Murray couldn’t even dream of such an unexpected outcome. John Cook believed in a Huskers sophomore even when she stopped believing in herself after a downward spiral and DUI arrest in 2024. Additionally, Murray and all her teammates expected to work with Cook for the rest of their college volleyball career.

Coach Cook had signed a four-year contract extension till 2028. Thus, his decision to retire blindsided everyone. However, Cook acknowledged that he was especially worried about Murray. “My biggest worry was Harper,” Cook recently confessed on the Volleyball State podcast. Thankfully, the team respected his decision and looks forward to working with Dani Busboom Kelly.

Harper Murray trusts in the successor who John Cook chose

While discussing the departure of the two-time AVCA Coach of the Year, Murray also spoke about the team’s new head coach, Dani Busboom Kelly. The former Louisville coach is no stranger to the Huskers as she played and won the 2006 NCAA title as a Husker, and later returned as an assistant coach. DBK did it all under the guidance of coach John Cook.

So, it’s not surprising the 68-year-old chose DBK as his successor. “I trust coach with Dani, and I believe that he’s going to put us in the best position possible to win, even if he’s not here,” Harper Murray said about Cook’s choice. “He’s not just going to hand us off to somebody he doesn’t believe is going to set us up to be successful,” added the 19-year-old.

The outside hitter also revealed the entire team had a meeting to discuss how to make Kelly’s transition smooth. After all, DBK took Louisville to new heights. The Huskers believe the Cortland native can do even better at home. Huskers Athletic Director Troy Dannen said that Nebraska is lucky to have gotten DBK as their new head coach.

“I was fortunate she did say yes,” Dannen said after successfully negotiating a deal with the former NCAA champion. And while coach John Cook may have retired, he is not going away just yet. Cook will stick around a little longer to show DBK the ropes.