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Nebraska Board of Regents Approves Naming of the John Cook Arena

The legendary Husker volleyball coach will be immortalized with the naming of the arena inside the Bob Devaney Sports Center as well as a statue outside.
Kaleb Henry|
John Cook coached the Huskers to four national volleyball championships during his 25-year tenure in Lincoln.
John Cook coached the Huskers to four national volleyball championships during his 25-year tenure in Lincoln. | Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

John Cook Arena at the Bob Devaney Sports Center.

That's the official name of the home of Husker volleyball, after the Nebraska Board of Regents unanimously approved the move at Friday's meeting. The regents also approved the construction and placement of a bronze statue of Cook outside of the arena.

Nationally recognized sculpture artist and Nebraska native George Lundeen has been commissioned to produce the life-size tribute to Cook and his career, which will stand on the north side of the Devaney Sports Center.

The total project is estimated to cost $400,000, which includes updated signage to and around the arena. According to discussion at the meeting, that total will be 100% donor funded. The move had been in the works for more than six months and is not in reaction to Cook's retirement.

The Bob Devaney Sports Center has been sold out for every Nebraska volleyball match since the Huskers moved there in 2013.
The Bob Devaney Sports Center has been sold out for every Nebraska volleyball match since the Huskers moved to the building in 2013. | Nebraska Athletics

Cook announced his retirement in January after 25 years as the head coach of Nebraska volleyball. He won four national titles as the head coach at Nebraska, and won more matches than any Division I volleyball coach this century. He went 722-103 at NU, guiding he Huskers to 12 NCAA Semifinals appearances, nine Big 12 titles and five Big Ten titles.

“John’s success as the leader of our volleyball program is unmatched,” Nebraska Director of Athletics Troy Dannen said. “His impact goes beyond what his teams accomplished on the court, from our athletic department, our university, community and state of Nebraska. To recognize John in a manner that will be visible for generations to come is a fitting honor.”

Cook was replaced by former Husker All-American and Louisville coach Dani Busboom Kelly. The fourth coach in program history will operate with both of her predecessors front and center for home matches, with Terry Pettit's name on the court and Cook's name on the arena.

Nebraska Cornhuskers volleyball head coach Dani Busboom Kelly and former coach John Cook.
Dani Busboom Kelly has succeeded John Cook as head coach for Nebraska volleyball. | Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

"This is an incredible honor. I am truly humbled by all of it,” Cook said. “I am so grateful to Troy, the entire Nebraska administration and the Board of Regents for this recognition. The Bob Devaney Sports Center and Terry Pettit Court are named after two legendary coaches, and it's an honor to be able to share the name of the facility with them. And to have a statue outside the arena just blows my mind.

"I'm so thankful for the run we had at Nebraska, and I know the program is in great hands moving forward. I continue to be amazed at the amount of support and all the messages I've received from Husker Nation since retiring in January. All of this just reaffirms what I've always said: There is No Place Like Nebraska."

Busboom Kelly will lead the Huskers onto Terry Pettitt Court in the John Cook Arena at the Bob Devaney Sports Center this fall. The new John Cook Arena signage and the bronze statue will be unveiled later this year.

Other Nebraska Athletics items addressed by the Board of Regents:

  • Recognition for Jack Hoffman and Greg Sharpe
  • Approved HuskerVision's relocation as part of the Memorial Stadium Improvements Project
  • Approved estimated costs of $1,145,372 for the new outdoor track replacement

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Kaleb Henry
KALEB HENRY

Kaleb Henry is an award-winning sports reporter, covering collegiate athletics since 2014 via radio, podcasting, and digital journalism. His experience with Big Ten Conference teams goes back more than a decade, including time covering programs such as the Nebraska Cornhuskers, Oregon Ducks, and USC Trojans. He has contributed to Sports Illustrated since 2021. Kaleb has won multiple awards for his sports coverage from the Nebraska Broadcasters Association and Midwest Broadcast Journalists Association. Prior to working in sports journalism, Kaleb was a Division I athlete on the Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville Track and Field team where he discussed NCAA legislation as SIUE's representative to the Ohio Valley Conference Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. 

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