"I had no idea"- Coach John Cook makes his feelings known with an emotional farewell message for Nebraska Volleyball fans

Coach John Cook penned an emotional farewell message for the Nebraska Volleyball fans, as he bid goodbye to the team. The three-time national coach of the year expressed his gratitude to everybody who reached out to him after he announced his retirement. He also thanked the fans for their incredible support throughout his time as the head coach of the team.

Cook led the Nebraska Volleyball team for 25 years and transformed it into one of the most successful teams in the NCAA women's Division 1 volleyball circuit. During his tenure as the head coach, Nebraska women's volleyball won four NCAA Division I Championship titles and made 12 semi-final appearances.

In his final season as the head coach, the Nebraska women's volleyball team was eliminated in the semi-finals of the NCAA Division 1 championships after a nail-biting five-setter match against Penn State. After the season, fans were taken by surprise, when the official social media handles of Nebraska Volleyball announced that coach Cook would retire and former Husker Dani Busboom Kelly would take over as the new head coach.

Coach John Cook talked about his decision in a press conference and took to Instagram to pen an emotional note for the fans. He expressed that he was unaware of the huge impact the team had on the fans. Furthermore, he expressed his confidence in Busboom Kelly to take the team forward in the upcoming season and uphold their competitive spirit.

"I had no idea until this past week how many people have been touched and moved by Nebraska Volleyball. I want to thank everyone who reached out. It means a lot to me. Let's get ready for DBK and the team to unleash hell," read the message.

Coach John Cook on informing Nebraska Volleyball players about his retirement

Coach John Cook speaks on Volleyball Day in Nebraska - Source: Getty

After announcing his retirement, John Cook made an emotional confession during the press conference. He revealed how breaking the news to the players, especially Harper Murray, was one of the toughest tasks that he had encountered.

Cook expressed that players wanted to meet him as soon as he spoke about his retirement. He wondered whether they were planning to opt for transfer to another program in the upcoming season.

"I called in Harper first because I knew that would be the toughest. She was very emotional, so once I got through that it was a lot more easier to go with the team because I knew that would be the tough one. They all responded really well but again it was tough," he said.

Lastly, the highly accomplished coach expressed that he will spend quality time with his family and enjoy his retirement with his grandchildren while cheering for the Huskers.