The Nebraska Cornhuskers are ruling the NCAA women’s volleyball realm. And a major chunk of the credit goes to none other than their head coach, John Cook. Under his guidance, Nebraska has flourished like never before. Bringing in a surge of positive energy, Cook led the Nebraska women to four national titles, 13 conference championships, and 11 Final Fours. Thus, it is only expected that the Huskers would not want to let go of such a coach easily, who are doing everything they can to keep John Cook.

In a recent update, Cook’s contract with the Huskers has been extended till 2029, and with that comes the obvious financial perks. Owing to his incredible work, Cook has been given a raise of $75,000, making his total annual salary stand at $825,000. However, there’s more—Cook will also receive a retention bonus of $70,000. Add to that a deferred compensation of $1 million to make his total annual earnings shoot up to $1.895 million! Now, it might seem that the Nebraska head coach will be getting a bag full of money, but the dollar bills are left to be counted!

Apart from the total wage and variables, there is also a significant amount of performance bonuses available. As per the NCAA bonus rules, a Big Ten championship guarantees a 15% bonus. Next up, the performance bonus rules are as follows: “NCAA Tournament berth is 10%, Sweet Sixteen is 15%, Final Four is 20%, and a national championship is 25%.” Following the breakup, John Cook got a 15% bonus for winning the Big Ten and an added 20% for qualifying for the Final Four.

With his previous salary being $750,000, these bonuses added up to $112,500 and $150,000, respectively. However, with the raised salary in effect, the performance bonuses are expected to shoot up—given a $825,000 base, a Big Ten win would guarantee $123,750. Moreover, a Final Four run will take the amount to $165,000, and an NCAA title will allow Cook to earn $206,250 from performance bonuses alone. Meanwhile, while John Cook is being held as a hero for Nebraska’s dramatic turnaround, the HC himself has credited a major change, post-2013, as the reason. 

John Cook credits fans for Nebraska’s electric performance 

Back in 2013, the Huskers decided to shift their home ground from the NU Colosseum to the Bob Devaney Center. While the change was touted as a big deal initially, things quickly began to change for the better. The stadium has become one of the happy hunting grounds of the Nebraska women’s volleyball team. Owing to the electrifying atmosphere created by the fans, Cook’s side has not lost a single game on their home ground for the last two years. 

Heaping praises on the fans, Cook stated, “I think the biggest thing is we got a whole new generation of fans in here. We doubled our fan base from the Coliseum… I think that’s helped build Nebraska volleyball because more people get to experience it.” Cook also mentioned how he has seen innumerable fans lining up to buy season tickets. In a report published in the Journal Star, the Huskers’ HC reminisced about a game where the crowd had a significant role to play. 

Facing off against the Badgers, the Huskers dominated proceedings 25-21, 25-22, 25-19. As per Cook, this was possible due to the constant and passionate cheering of the home fans. The Huskers’ coach reflected with such strong support; he made it up in his mind that Nebraska could never afford to lose. Thus, with the incredible success story of Huskers continuing, it remains to be seen how Cook can take things to the next level in the upcoming season. Moreover, with the financial perks coming in, an NCAA title will prove to be beneficial for both Nebraska as well as Cook in the 2025 season.