Nebraska's Dani Busboom Kelly to Be Second-Highest Paid NCAA Volleyball Coach

Despite a change at head coach, the Nebraska volleyball staff will continue to be among the highest paid in the nation.
After John Cook's retirement press conference Thursday, details regarding new Husker coach Dani Busboom Kelly's contract were released by Nebraska Athletics. Busboom Kelly signed a six-year, $4.575 million deal with Nebraska, per Lincoln Arneal. Her starting pay base will be $700,000 and increase $25,000 each season.
Busboom Kelly can also earn bonuses. The former Louisville coach could earn a $50,000 bonus for winning the conference and reaching the Final Four, an extra $100,000 for winning the national coach of the year award, and an additional $100,000 for claiming a national championship.
In his 2023 season, Cook earned just under a million dollars, reaching $978,750 with incentives for reaching the national-title match, and winning the Big Ten championship. The retiring coach's base salary was $750,000 his final season in Lincoln, making him the highest paid coach in base salary in collegiate volleyball.
Busboom Kelly's contract places her second in the NCAA in base salary behind Texas' Jerritt Elliot who was paid $724,750 for winning the national championship in 2023. Elliot's base pay is $500,000, and he could receive an additional $300,000 a year for "professional services," per Arneal.
Busboom Kelly received a $300,000 pay boost for leaving Louisville and making the change to Nebraska. Her base salary with the Cardinals was $400,000 through 2028. In her new contract with the Huskers, Busboom Kelly's buyout to the university if she were to leave Nebraska includes a $2 million owed amount if she were to leave by Jan. 31, 2026. The amount is cut in half each year until 2030, when she would not owe the university.
Cook's base pay was $750,000 in his last year at Nebraska.
— Lincoln Arneal (@Lincoln_VB) January 30, 2025
Here is DBK's buyout structure: pic.twitter.com/ABZ6uDZU8e
Busboom Kelly's contract makes her the fourth-highest paid head coach at Nebraska behind football coach Matt Rhule ($6.5 million per season), men's basketball coach Fred Hoiberg ($4.25 million), and women's basketball coach Amy Williams ($950,000). The new volleyball coach's contract still has her behind football's offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen ($1.2 million), defensive coordinator John Butler ($1.1 million), and assistant football coaches Marcus Satterfield ($1.4 million per season) and Glenn Thomas ($800,000).
The new coach's salary increase will bump her base pay to $825,000 per season by 2030, making her the highest paid coach in college volleyball if all contracts remain the same.
Following the retirement press conference, Busboom Kelly made her first public appearance as head coach at the Nebraska men's basketball game Thursday night against Illinois.
her pic.twitter.com/yk3bz2tDqA
— Nebraska Huskers (@Huskers) January 31, 2025
Busboom Kelly's introductory press conference will take place Feb. 6 at the Bob Devaney Sports Center.
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