It’s been a little over two months since the Nebraska volleyball world got hit with that gut punch. Coach John Cook, the heart and soul of the Huskers’ sideline, officially stepped away from the headset. But just ‘cause he handed off the clipboard doesn’t mean he’s ghosted the scene. Nah, the man’s still reppin’ Big Red with all the love. In fact, post-retirement, Cook spilled a little secret. “I still want to come back for football games. That’s one of the things I want to spend more time doing — watching football,” he shared with Huskers Extra. Turns out, back when he was running the show, he barely caught a snap.

“I used to get to go to one game a year and usually I had to leave by halftime. I love being down there,” Cook added, sounding like a true fan finally getting his season pass moment. But here’s the kicker—while the volleyball whistle’s gone quiet, life off the court hasn’t exactly been a lazy river for the legend. Yup, Cook’s been knee-deep in that “free time” whirlwind, and he’s not sugarcoating it either. With retirement giving him the space to finally soak in every down of a Nebraska football game, the man’s also juggling all the new-day chaos that comes with not being on a schedule 24/7.

In a laid-back chat with Hurrdat Sports, the host tossed out a light question: “So anything new in your life? Anything happen recently?” And John Cook, with that signature dry humor, didn’t miss a beat. “No, I just I think I need a full-time manager to manage all the requests that are coming in because everybody thinks you know I’m retired now I got all this free time and nothing to do.” Yeah, retirement? Not exactly the quiet life. He laughed it off, but it’s clear his calendar’s been more packed than ever—appearances, invites, interviews—you name it.

But what really lit him up was the outpouring of appreciation from across Nebraska. “I’ve received many letters and little gifts from people all over the state just thanking me and how much they enjoyed watching Nebraska volleyball team,” he shared, and you could tell it meant the world. “That’s the greatest compliment for me is people really have connected with our team the last couple years and I’m hearing from these people I don’t even know.” He’s still traveling all over the place and has “lots of stuff going on,” but the heartfelt thanks, the letters, the little gifts—they’re the real MVPs of post-retirement life.

Oh, there’s no denying it—Husker Nation still has mad love for John Cook and everything he built out in Lincoln. With four shiny national titles under his belt and more wins than any other Division I volleyball coach in this century, Cook’s legacy is straight-up legendary. The man clocked in an unreal 722-103 record, pulled Nebraska into 12 NCAA Semifinals, stacked nine Big 12 titles, and grabbed five Big Ten crowns along the way. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Coach Cook didn’t just win games—he produced icons.

We’re talking five Olympians, a Honda-Broderick Cup winner, three AVCA National Players of the Year, and a whole army of 72 AVCA All-Americans. He made sure brains matched brawn too, with 25 Academic All-Americans and over 150 academic all-conference nods. And who could forget that electric night at Memorial Stadium? Yup, 92,003 fans packed the place, breaking the world record for a women’s sporting event—all because Coach Cook dared them to Dream Big. And he may have hung up the clipboard, but his impact? Still as before.

John Cook’s impact remains intact!

Looks like Nebraska’s about to give Coach John Cook his official flowers—and not just the kind in a post-game bouquet. The home court of Husker volleyball, already carrying legacy weight with Terry Pettit’s name on the floor, might just be leveling up in epic fashion. Yup, on April 11 the University of Nebraska Board of Regents will toss around the idea of renaming the arena at the Bob Devaney Sports Center to The John Cook Arena. After leading the squad from 2000 until his recent retirement, it only feels right that the walls where so many championship dreams came true might soon carry his name, too.

And this wouldn’t be some lowkey nameplate either. If the proposal gets the green light, they’re going all in—think shiny new signage and a full-blown bronze sculpture of Cook standing tall right outside the Devaney. $400,000 is on the table for the tribute, and fans already know—it’s money well spent. Cook didn’t just coach; he revolutionized. With 13 conference titles, 4 national championships, 8 conference coach of the year nods, and 3 national coach of the year wins? Yeah, he straight-up left a permanent fingerprint on the sport and the program.

For context, Terry Pettit—Nebraska’s volleyball godfather—had the court named after him back in 2013 for all his legendary moves from 1977 to 1999. Now, Cook might be joining him with an arena name to match that legacy. And in a twist of poetic full-circle magic, the day he announced his retirement in January, it was none other than Dani Busboom Kelly, a former Husker star and now coaching Louisville, who was announced as his successor. Legacy passing the baton? Absolutely. The regents will meet at 9 a.m. at UNO’s Roskens Hall to hash it all out—so yeah, mark the calendars, Husker Nation.