Dani Busboom-Kelly was formally introduced as Nebraska’s fourth volleyball head coach before a large crowd at the Devaney Center Thursday. The crowd was bolstered by busloads of students from Freeman Schools, watching the school system’s most famous alumnae accept one of the biggest positions in the state.
“To the 2025 team, I can’t wait to get to know you and work with you,” Busboom-Kelly said. “We’ll approach each day with fire in our belly and love in our heart for anyone who loves us. Like John (Cook) said a week ago, I’ll probably dress a little better than he does and have a little more fun off the court, but the core values and mission behind Nebraska volleyball will always remain the same.”
Busboom-Kelly also took time to honor her predecessor and college coach, Cook, and thank him for his efforts in building the program and mentoring her.
NU athletic director Troy Dannen noted that Busboom-Kelly would have been his choice for the position even if she had not been a Husker, but that the fact that she had that background was “icing on the cake”.
Busboom-Kelly takes over for Cook, who retired eight days ago after a 25-year run as Nebraska’s head coach that saw him lead the Huskers to four national championships, one which Busboom-Kelly helped win as a player and another Busboom-Kelly served on the coaching staff for, and seven trips to the NCAA semifinals in the last 10 years. Busboom-Kelly has her own run of success though, leading Louisville to eight NCAA Tournaments in her eight years as head coach including three national semifinals and two national finals.