Nebraska, John Cook agrees to five-year extension, plus $70k retention bonus to buy horse, per report

The Nebraska Cornhuskers signed their head volleyball coach to a new five-year extension on Wednesday. After 24 years of guiding the Huskers’ volleyball squad, John Cook will get a raise to $825,000 with one big request. Instead of getting an escalating salary, he’ll get a $70,000 retention bonus that will help him buy a horse that he wants.

His five-year contract will run through Jan. 31, 2029. His annual salary will be a $75,000 increase from the previous number. Cook is eligible to receive bonuses if his program achieves certain milestones.

The longtime Huskers’ head volleyball coach released a statement about the deal on Wednesday.

“When (athletic director) Troy (Dannen) and I talked about my contract, I proposed that instead of an annual escalating salary that some coaches do, it would mean a great deal to me if the Nebraska athletic department would consider supporting me in purchasing a horse out in central Nebraska that I’ve had my eye on,” Cook said in a statement.

Cook noted that the horse, named No. 415, was raised at the Pitzer Ranch in Ericson, Nebraska, and is a “once-in-a-lifetime performance horse.”

“Troy loved the idea and while they couldn’t specifically write that into the contract, the retention bonus will be used for No. 415. I am honored that Troy was supportive of my idea and it means a lot to me,” Cook said.

Since Cook took over the Huskers program in 2000, they’ve won four NCAA Championships, 13 conference titles, and they also have the best winning percentage. Nebraska fans broke the national and world attendance record for any women’s sporting event in August, when they had 92,003 people pile into Memorial Stadium, their football stadium, for “Volleyball Day,” when they played the Omaha Mavericks.

Cook has put together an unbelievable overall record of 689-100 (.873) during his time there, including a 419-56 record in the Big Ten (.882). One of the most decorated coaches in the history of the sport, he’s also been named the AVCA National Coach of the Year three times (2000, 2005, and 2023). Cook was inducted into the AVCA Hall of Fame in 2017.

Last year, the Cornhuskers went 33-2 overall and lost to Texas in the national championship game. Nebraska will open up the 2024 campaign on August 30th, against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.