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.
This story is developing…
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