Nebraska Volleyball's Assistant Coaching Staff Remains Intact for 2026

Dani Busboom Kelly is keeping the band together.

All three of Nebraska’s assistant coaches have signed new contracts to remain at Nebraska on Busboom Kelly’s staff for the 2026 season.

NU reported in January that Jaylen Reyes had signed a three-year contract to stay with the Huskers and was being promoted to associate head coach. Brennan Hagar signed a new one-year contract in December to remain as an assistant coach, while Kelly (Hunter) Natter finalized her new deal in early February that will keep her at NU for two more seasons.

Under Busboom Kelly’s coaching staff, the Huskers went undefeated during the 2025 regular season, winning a third-straight Big Ten championship, before suffering a five-set loss in the regional finals to eventual national champions Texas A&M and finishing the year with a 33-1 record.

Busboom Kelly inherited all three assistant coaches from former coach John Cook when she replaced him in January 2025. Reyes was hired by Cook in 2018 and is the second-longest tenured assistant in NU volleyball history. Natter played under Busboom Kelly during the first part of her career and they won a national championship together in 2015. Hagar served as an interim assistant coach after stepping in for Jordan Larson and was retained by Busboom Kelly when she took over.

Reyes signed a new contract last month that will make him one of the highest-paid assistant coaches in the country. His annual salary will start at $200,000, with increases of $10,000 for three years.

Natter will enter her fifth year as an assistant coach at Nebraska. She previously served as a volunteer assistant and graduate manager for three years before being promoted to full-time assistant following the 2021 season. She also played for the Huskers from 2013-17, winning two national championships and earning three All-American Awards.

Her new deal will pay a base salary of $135,000, a $10,000 increase from her previous one-year deal. It also includes a provision that the University may raise her base pay without a new formal amendment. Her contract expires on January 31, 2028.

Dani Busboom Kelly and Kelly Natter smile on the bench after a point during the spring exhibition against Kansas. Natter will return for her fifth season as an assistant at Nebraska and second under Busboom Kelly. | Amarillo Mullen

After working with setters during her first three years at Nebraska, Natter focused more on the liberos and defensive specialists. She helped the Nebraska defense lead the nation in opponents’ hitting percentage at .129, while the Huskers also finished first on offense with a .351 hitting percentage.

Last spring, Busboom Kelly said Natter was always a player that intrigued her on what kind of coach she could be because she sees the game so well. They have similar personalities where they can be serious, but they also like to joke around, too.

Even though Natter had never coached liberos before, she still brings a lot to the position.

“Kelly, I think, is always, she's always been somebody that's intrigued me ever since she was a player of the type of coach she could be,“ Busboom Kelly said. “So I think she sees the game so well. She's a great leader. Think she and I are pretty similar in personalities, so we can be really serious, but we also like to joke a lot.

“It's been fun to see her come alive as a coach. She's coaching the little barrels, which is definitely a challenge for her, having never played that position, but I think she's doing a great job. It's a lot about building relationships and making sure these athletes trust you. We all know volleyball. Even though (Natter) didn't pass, she can teach passing.”

Hagar signed a new contract on Dec. 4 that will keep him at Nebraska through the 2026 season. (It expires on Dec. 31, 2026.) His new agreement will pay him a base salary of $70,000 and runs through the end of the year.

Both Hagar and Natter are eligible for bonuses if Nebraska wins the Big Ten or qualifies and advances in the NCAA Tournament.

Nebraska coach Dani Busboom Kelly and members of the coaching staff huddle on the sideline. — Nebraska coach Dani Busboom Kelly and members of the coaching staff huddle on the sideline during the AVCA First Serve vs. Pittsburgh. Busboom Kelly will return the same three assistant coaches for her second season with the Huskers. | Kenny Larabee, KLIN

Hagar previously served as a graduate manager at Nebraska before Cook named him interim assistant coach, and Busboom Kelly later removed the interim tag. Hagar played collegiately at Ottawa University in Kansas after growing up in Wyoming

Hagar thrived in his first full-time assistant coaching position. He primarily worked with Nebraska’s middle blockers, and the two starters both earned All-American awards. Junior Andi Jackson was named to the first team and was selected as the AVCA Middle Blocker of the Year. Senior Rebekah Allick earned her first All-American honor as she made the second team. Both were first-team All-Big Ten selections.

During the postseason, Busboom Kelly said she appreciated Hagar’s innovative approach to working with the middle blockers.

“He's always wanting to try new things, and I think the way he communicates with the middles has been super beneficial,” she said. “ He's just calm, but he's really a clear communicator, but he's been awesome.”

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