On the heels (or hoofs) of Nebraska Volleyball Coach John Cook’s 5-season contract extension, he is now the proud owner of a new horse named “No. 415.”
NU athletic director Troy Dannen announced Cook’s $825,000-salary contract extension last week, to which Cook said, “When Troy 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 used his retention bonus of $70,000 to purchase the horse from Pitzer Ranch, in Wheeler County, Nebraska.
The “Mark Wray trained horse” and the AVCA Hall of Fame coach posed for a picture on Cook’s social media, with the caption “Time to cowboy up!”
“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. We are all looking forward to what should be an exciting 2024 season,” said Cook in a statement.
In 2023, Cook led the Huskers to a 33-2 record an an appearance in the national championship match. Along the way, Nebraska played in front of 92,003 fans in Memorial Stadium for Volleyball Day in Nebraska.
The #415 A Pitzer Ranch bred and Mark Wray trained horse. Time to cowboy up! pic.twitter.com/o1OpLT9TZF
— John Cook (@jcook2) June 7, 2024