Nebraska volleyball's Harper Murray accepts DWTS bid with boyfriend Heinrich Haarberg's coach after viral dance video

Harper Murray and Matt Rhule, the head coach for the Huskers, are set to participate in the Dancing with the Stars (DWTS) in an unexpected collab. The Nebraska volleyball star recently took part in a fun dancing trend on TikTok and invited the head coach of the Huskers football team to join in. Despite once calling himself anti-TikTok on the Pat McAfee show, Rhule was not able to say no to the All-American volleyball player.

Notably, Harper Murray's boyfriend, Heinrich Haarberg, a professional footballer, plays tight end for the Cornhuskers. Haarberg introduced Murray to Matt Rhule, which led to the creation of the viral dance on the song “Anxiety” by Doechii and Sleepy Hallow. Murray shared their dance video on her X page on Tuesday.

The viral dance between Harper Murray and the Huskers' head coach caught the attention of Dancing with the Stars. The Huskers shared an Instagram post on Tuesday to reveal that Murray and Rhule will be headlining the premiere of Dancing with the Stars. They wrote in the caption:

"Following @mattrhule1’s TikTok debut with @harpermurrayy, the duo has accepted an invitation to headline Dancing with the Stars, premiering later this summer."

However, the dates and official update from Dancing with the Stars are yet to be announced.

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Harper Murray on off-season struggles

Last spring was not easy for Murray as she was overcoming a lot of obstacles. It was former Nebraska head coach John Cook who stood by her side, guiding her into the right trajectory. Struggling with her emotional health and facing the criticism had a harsh impact on Murray.

Last year, Harper Murray made a comment that blew up on social media. During a press conference after they lost the National Championship game to Texas, a journalist asked what was next for her and the team, and she replied:

"I think we are going to win three national championships, in the next three years."

The comment was faced with harsh criticism and online abuse, as many claimed she should focus on her training instead of talking big. Murray was targeted and bullied socially. Those words affected her mental health a lot, and she was caught in a downward spiral, caught shoplifting and was arrested for a DUI.

But the legendary John Cook stuck by Murray’s side through all of the storm. He even got a lot of criticism from people when he decided not to suspend Murray. John Cook reportedly had a soft spot for Harper Murray, and the latter did see a father figure in him. Talking to ESPN, Cook said:

"We thought it would be great for Harper to be in all the camps. It's all about giving back. It's not about yourself. It's about giving back to some kid from Burwell, Nebraska, who shucks corn all summer to pay to come to camp. It's about giving them a great experience, and that takes the focus off of you."

A lot of healing and moving forward was involved in her recovery. And with the help of her teammates and coach, Harper Murray was able to get back to loving volleyball.