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Nebraska head coach John Cook waves to the crowd after his 800th career win on Friday at the Devaney Sports Center.
Nebraska head coach John Cook (left) shakes hands with athletic director Trev Alberts after Alberts presented a trophy to Cook to commemorate his 800th career win on Friday at the Devaney Sports Center.
John Cook was taken by surprise.
Nebraska's head volleyball coach thought he had made it crystal clear that he didn't want to celebrate win No. 800 — even saying on the radio before Nebraska's match against Michigan State that reaching 800 wins meant "nothing" to him.
To him, the milestone only signified that he'd been around the coaching ranks for a long time.
Luckily for Cook, Nebraska athletic director Trev Alberts and his staff paid no mind to Cook's request.
Shortly after Nebraska swept Michigan State to open Big Ten play, Alberts walked onto the court at the Devaney Sports Center to present Cook with a gift to honor the occasion.
It wasn't just any gift. It was a placeholder for a custom Western belt buckle to commemorate Cook's 800th victory. That actual belt buckle is still being made.
The gesture moved Cook. When speaking about the belt buckle after the match, Cook got choked up a handful of times.
“That’s a really meaningful gift to honor something that I really don’t care about,” Cook said. “... That was really meaningful because typical they just give you a volleyball and it ends up in a closet somewhere. That is something that will be very, very meaningful to me.
“I really, really appreciate that and the thought behind it. Somebody put some thought behind it. I will really cherish that.”
Cook continued: "It's a wonderful, wonderful thought and gesture. Those are memories that last for a while in coaching."
Eight hundred wins. That's a monumental achievement, even if Cook doesn't care about it. It's deserving of celebration.
It’s a feat only 18 Division I women’s volleyball coaches in NCAA history had achieved before Friday night. Cook — joining the likes of former Penn State coach Russ Rose — becomes No. 19.
"He is one of the greatest coaches to ever do it," setter Anni Evans said. "... It was really awesome to get to share this moment with him."
Cook joked during his press conference that he’s still 500 wins behind Rose. Sorry, John, it's 530, to be precise. Rose's number to beat: 1,330.
Among Cook's peers actively coaching in the DI ranks, Cook is the sixth and the third to reach the feat this year. American’s Barry Goldberg achieved win No. 800 in August and Colorado State’s Tom Hilbert joined the club earlier this week. Florida’s Mary Wise leads the way among active coaches at 1,010 as of Friday night.
Sure, did Cook say he didn’t want to do anything to ring in No. 800? You bet he did, saying after the game that he told NU volleyball director of operations Lindsay Peterson “we can’t talk about it. There can’t be anything about it.”
“I laid down the hammer and obviously that didn’t work,” Cook said, referring to how John Baylor, the voice of Nebraska volleyball, recognized Cook’s achievement and Alberts’ gift immediately after the match.
The 800th win itself, though, might not be the most meaningful of his career.
But to get to No. 800, he’s had plenty to remember.
An incomplete list of memorable moments:
No. 1: Cook's first career win over UT-Arlington with Wisconsin in 1992.
No. 33: UW’s sweep of South Florida in 1993 for Cook’s first NCAA tourney win.
No. 162: Cook’s first victory as Nebraska’s head coach: a sweep over Northwestern in 2000.
No. 195: Nebraska’s national title victory over Wisconsin in 2000.
No. 381: Nebraska’s national title victory over Stanford in 2006.
No. 469: Cook’s first win with his daughter, Lauren, on the roster in 2010.
No. 545: Lauren’s senior night with a win over Northwestern in 2012.
No. 547: The final game in the Coliseum: an NCAA tourney win over UNI in 2012.
No. 551: The first win in the Devaney Center, a four-setter over Villanova.
No. 629: NU’s sweep of Texas for the national title in Omaha in 2015.
No. 692: NU’s win over Florida for the championship in 2017
And now, at No. 800: the belt buckle match.
To the person responsible for the belt buckle, whether that be Alberts himself or anyone else in that office: well done.
Even though Cook said he didn’t want to commemorate this one, he’ll now remember Friday night for years to come.
He’ll likely place the belt buckle, once it’s finished, somewhere on his desk or a nearby bookshelf. Every once in a while, he’ll probably look at it and smile.
No, not because of the result of Friday’s match, but because someone took the time to make the moment — a moment he said he doesn't care about — special.
And special, well, that’s what the spirit of Nebraska is all about.
Nebraska's Bekka Allick (5) and Michigan State's Julia Bishop battle for the ball on Friday at the Devaney Sports Center.
Nebraska head coach John Cook waves to the crowd after his 800th career win after defeating Michigan State on Friday at the Devaney Sports Center.
Nebraska head coach John Cook waves to the crowd after his 800th career win on Friday at the Devaney Sports Center.
Nebraska head coach John Cook (left) shakes hands with athletic director Trev Alberts after Alberts presented a trophy to Cook to commemorate his 800th career win on Friday at the Devaney Sports Center.
Nebraska's Lindsay Krause scores a kill against Michigan State's Emma Monks (left) and Maradith O'Gorman on Friday at the Devaney Sports Center.
Nebraska's Kenzie Knuckles celebrates a point against Michigan State in the first set, Friday, Sept. 23, 2022, at Devaney Sports Center.
Nebraska's Kenzie Knuckles passes the ball against Michigan State on Friday at the Devaney Sports Center.
Nebraska's Lindsay Krause hits the ball against Michigan State on Friday at the Devaney Sports Center.
Nebraska's Maggie Mendelson hits the ball against Michigan State on Friday at the Devaney Sports Center.
Nebraska's Maggie Mendelson hits the ball against Michigan State's Aliyah Moore on Friday at the Devaney Sports Center.
Nebraska's Madi Kubik (left) scores a kill against Michigan State's Julia Bishop (center) and Nil Okur in the first set, Friday, Sept. 23, 2022, at Devaney Sports Center.
Nebraska's Kaitlyn Hord (left) celebrates her kill in front of Michigan State's Julia Bishop on Friday at the Devaney Sports Center.
Nebraska athletic director Trev Alberts (right) embraces head coach John Cook after the Huskers defeated Michigan State on Friday at the Devaney Sports Center, marking Cook's 800th career win.
Nebraska's Lindsay Krause (left) battles for the ball with Michigan State's Julia Bishop in the second set on Friday at the Devaney Sports Center.
Nebraska's Anni Evans (center) and others celebrate a point against Michigan State on Friday at the Devaney Sports Center.
Nebraska's Lexi Rodriguez (8), Madi Kubik (10) and others celebrate a point against Michigan State on Friday at the Devaney Sports Center.
Nebraska's Madi Kubik hits the ball against Michigan State's Emma Monks (left) and Maradith O'Gorman in the second set on Friday at the Devaney Sports Center.
Nebraska fans cheer for the team during the match against Michigan State on Friday at the Devaney Sports Center.
Nebraska's Kaitlyn Hord (top) scores a kill against Michigan State's Emma Monks in the second set Friday at the Devaney Sports Center.
Nebraska's Lexi Rodriguez throws a commemorative game ball to the crowd during player introductions before the match against Michigan State on Friday at the Devaney Sports Center.
Nebraska head coach John Cook talks with his team during the Huskers' match against Michigan State on Friday at the Devaney Sports Center.
Nebraska's Kaitlyn Hord (top) scores a kill against Michigan State's Emma Monks in the second set on Friday at the Devaney Sports Center.
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A Funk native and graduate of Lincoln Southeast, Amie Just joined the Journal Star as sports columnist after spending five seasons covering football for the New Orleans Times-Picayune and the Missoulian in Missoula, Montana.
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Larson is back in the state after spending last spring and summer on the coaching staff at Texas. She resigned her position last month.
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Nebraska head coach John Cook waves to the crowd after his 800th career win on Friday at the Devaney Sports Center.
Nebraska head coach John Cook (left) shakes hands with athletic director Trev Alberts after Alberts presented a trophy to Cook to commemorate his 800th career win on Friday at the Devaney Sports Center.
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