John Cook

Cook said Nebraska players face intense public pressure and that after losses he felt he had let down the whole state.

“When we lost, I felt like I let the whole state of Nebraska down. And that's how it feels here. But it's special”

Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!: A surprise snow day for the White House press corps (Sep 26, 2026) · Listen from 26:01

Cook recalled that around 2015 he was urged to become more animated on the sideline, but after consecutive losses his captain told him to sit down.

“Coaches started getting up in volleyball. It became a thing. And so everybody told me, like, you need to get up and run around on the sideline”

Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!: A surprise snow day for the White House press corps (Sep 26, 2026) · Listen from 24:37

Cook said his coaching philosophy is that the longer he coached the less he knew, requiring constant learning because the game keeps changing.

“I have a saying, the longer I coach, the less I know. And I kept learning so much later in my career because everything changes all the time”

Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!: A surprise snow day for the White House press corps (Sep 26, 2026) · Listen from 23:56

Cook said the most common message coaches try to get players to say in between-point huddles is to focus on winning the next point.

“I know the most common thing we try to get them to say is, hey, next point, let's win the next point”

Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!: A surprise snow day for the White House press corps (Sep 26, 2026) · Listen from 22:55

Cook recounted that a current senior said she could not remember the record match because she blacked out, and he believes most players did.

“she said, I don't remember because I blacked out. And I think most of them blacked out”

Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!: A surprise snow day for the White House press corps (Sep 26, 2026) · Listen from 22:25

Cook described the record-crowd match as an out-of-body experience and a celebration of women's sports.

“It was just like an out-of-body experience. And it was a magical night and a great celebration for women's sports”

Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!: A surprise snow day for the White House press corps (Sep 26, 2026) · Listen from 21:51