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Nebraska Volleyball to Give Husker Fans John Cook Bobbleheads During UCLA Match

Nebraska volleyball fans have a chance at an exclusive giveaway from Husker Athletics, as coach John Cook will have a featured bobblehead giveaway available during Friday's Big Ten opening match against UCLA.

Austin Jacobsen

Aug 30, 2023; Lincoln, NE, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers head coach John Cook speaks to the crowd after defeating the Omaha Mavericks at Memorial Stadium.
Aug 30, 2023; Lincoln, NE, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers head coach John Cook speaks to the crowd after defeating the Omaha Mavericks at Memorial Stadium. / Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

John Cook is a man that wears many hats: coach for Nebraska volleyball, mentor, and cowboy, just to name a few. Now, the national championship winning coach will have thousands of smaller hats surrounding the Bob Devaney Sports Center on Friday night.

Nebraska volleyball and Husker Athletics posted on Thursday morning that Nebraska fans attending the Big Ten season-opening match against UCLA on Friday will receive a John Cook bobblehead to celebrate the tenured coach's 25th season leading the Big Red. The bobbleheads include Cook in his signature cowboy hat, white polo, and adds a belt buckle, Adidas logo stand, and a volleyball tucked under the statue's left arm.

The bobblehead will also be given away in a commemorative box, showcasing the Bob Devaney Sports Center and coach Cook. Nebraska Athletics teased the reveal earlier Thursday morning, posting a "This is Sportscenter" mock commercial with Cook parading around the Nebraska volleyball offices.

Cook was featured on the video riding an exercise bike, walking through offices, and riding an elevator down to the main floor of the Bob Devaney Sports Center while on the phone with "Troy" - likely athletic director Troy Dannen. The final shot of the video showcases the coach striding past a large inflated version of the bobblehead to be given away Friday.

Cook has continued to become a dominant personality, not only with Nebraska volleyball, but also nationally, after being featured in several sports documentaries over the past few seasons. The coach has spoken on the Big Ten Network, the recent E60 documentary "No Place Like Nebraska", and now has a popular TikTok channel thanks to sophomore Harper Murray.

After taking over the Husker volleyball team in 2000, Cook led Nebraska to four national championships in 2000, 2006, 2015, and 2017. He has over 850 career victories, with nearly 700 of them coming during his tenure in Lincoln. He holds the nation's best winning percentage while with NU, and has been named the national coach of the year three times: 2000, 2005, and 2023.

Nebraska head coach John Cook reacts from the bench during the second set of an NCAA women's volleyball game
Nebraska head coach John Cook reacts from the bench during the second set of an NCAA women's volleyball game, Saturday, Oct. 26, 2019 at Holloway Gymnasium in West Lafayette / Nikos Frazier | Journal & Courier, Lafayette Journal & Courier via Imagn Content Services,

Cook has now outpaced his predecessor, Terry Pettit, in wins at Nebraska, national championships, and years coached. He has also been a proponent of the growth of the sport of volleyball, and was a key architect of the "Volleyball Day in Nebraska" event to begin the 2023 season.

Friday's match against UCLA kicks off a new season of conference play in the revamped Big Ten with the new additions of the Bruins, USC, Oregon, and Washington.

Nebraska is currently 10-1 entering Big Ten play and ranked as the No. 2 team in the latest AVCA poll. After Friday's 7 p.m. CDT battle against UCLA, the Huskers matchup against No. 20 USC on Saturday, also at the Bob Devaney Sports Center.

Fans hold up cell phone lights before the third set between the Nebraska Cornhuskers and the Omaha Mavericks at Memorial Stad
Aug 30, 2023; Lincoln, NE, USA; Fans hold up cell phone lights before the third set between the Nebraska Cornhuskers and the Omaha Mavericks at Memorial Stadium. / Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

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Austin Jacobsen
AUSTIN JACOBSEN

Austin Jacobsen is a radio broadcaster and former Sports Director in Central Nebraska. He has seen the Cornhusker state from all corners; growing up in the Panhandle, completing his college degree in Kearney, working in the rural Sandhills, and now residing in Omaha. Austin is a statewide, regional, and national radio award winner and can usually be found at a high school football field on Friday nights and tuning in to the Huskers wherever they travel. If he is not on the road, Austin enjoys movie dates with his girlfriend and their dog, Ava.

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