Cook Needs to Focus on Coaching

[gazelle]

Fun season to watch. Disapponted it ended so early, this team was the deepest I can remember top to bottom.

One player doesn't make or break a team...but the Knuckles injury probably kept the team out of the finals.

Reloaded with our top recruiting class and they have a real shot again next season. Mendleson can now move over to basketball where they also are dealing with injuries. Perhaps she can provide a nice spark .

I agree. We have a bunch of great players coming back next year. The one piece we lack to make NU a final four contender is a great setter. If the incoming freshman Reilly isn't ready, I think Cook needs to look to the portal to find an experienced setter. If that happens, then one of the other setters would have to transfer or go off scholarship. My guess is it would be Evans.

 

[jmatlock]

Right, the other team has to play at the same time. Man up!

And BTW, it appeared as though there were about 100 -150 NU fans there. Good on them.

I'd be willing to bet that there will be a lot of tickets for sale for the finals in Omaha.

The Louisville crowd was pathetic. Guess VB is not a great sport for fans that travel to.

 

[Deleted member 9019]

A coach can have slight control over the time a Sweet 16 match is scheduled to begin. WIN more games and be a #1 seed. Then a match in Lincoln will never be the 1st match of the day, because the first match played in the round of 16 will be at a #1 seeded school n a location east of the Mississippi River. At worst a match in Lincoln would be scheduled to probably begin at 11AM.

 

[OmahaBorn]

I think many of us thought the 2022 freshman would add more impact than they did, taking nothing away from the times when they did shine. Injuries and circumstances collided in moments when N needed their A-game against some of the better opponents. I think Cook managed the team about as well as could be expected. Missing K2 was a huge loss.

 

[huskerman1]

I agree. We have a bunch of great players coming back next year. The one piece we lack to make NU a final four contender is a great setter. If the incoming freshman Reilly isn't ready, I think Cook needs to look to the portal to find an experienced setter. If that happens, then one of the other setters would have to transfer or go off scholarship. My guess is it would be Evans.

My guess is Kennedy Orr.

 

[T-Rex]

Kubik mailed it in the last 3 matches....wonder if Knuckles injury affected her more than people thought?

 

[George A. Husker]

Ha!!!! This is WOMENS VOLLEYBALL!!!! Let's try to keep the comparisons in the same universe. The football audience determines that Coach Saban would NEVER be playing at 10:00am where the volleyball audience dictates games be played.

As for message board experts: They have noticed that when Coach Cook focuses on his team at the tournament, he generally wins or at least advances well into the tournament. When complaining like a petulant child, this year and others as of late, they get run. He was focused last year and was successful. 2021 - Throttled by Texas after complaining what channel they were on.

The team deserves to have a coach talking about them and not TV or any other Cook perceived gripe.

Ha!!! I'm pretty aware of the sport without your helpful reminder. Or advice. Thanks though!!!!

You are on a message board, complaining about one of the top coaches in women’s volleyball … complaining. And, you’ve done it multiple times now. Does that make you a petulant child??? Or, do you get a mulligan because you... well... ??? My bet is you've never coached a set of college-level volleyball? If no one complains that a round of 16 volleyball game is played at 10:00 AM, the time slot will likely never be changed. What time are men's NIT basketball games (you know, the teams that aren't good enough to make the 64-team tournament)... Are they typically at 10:00 am? How many people are on the edges of their seats watching those games?

When a program like Wisconsin or Nebraska, etc., argues for better time slots and better coverage, then the chances of any positive change happening goes up.

You can look at John Cook as a "petulant child" if you want... I'll view him as a coach who is a recognized leader in the sport - - and who tries to fight/argue/whine when he sees opportunities to better promote volleyball. For every team, not just his own.

 

[CrnhskrBob]

Had to been tough for Oregon to fly from the west coast to east coast time zone and play at the early hour too. That being said sometimes the better team just wins and it is time to move on. Girls gave it their all and came up short.

No one is saying that Oregon was not the better team. We were outplayed so there's no argument there.

 

[Red Corn]

Kubik mailed it in the last 3 matches....wonder if Knuckles injury affected her more than people thought?

I don't think she mailed it in at all and you are right in your wonder there...I think she was under greater pressure when in the back row without Kenzie and it showed, unfortunately.

 

[T-Rex]

It was an odd season; he just couldn't decide on a starting group which was either due to trying to keep everyone happy or because Orr didn't improve at the pace that was needed to compete at the highest level. My biggest disappointment was in match four on the 4 chances we had to secure the game, bring the heat..... at least go out swinging instead of using roll shots and dinks. We still have the best coach in any sport in college, next year I'm sure we'll hit the ground running.

 

[Husker Robbie]

Ha!!! I'm pretty aware of the sport without your helpful reminder. Or advice. Thanks though!!!!

You are on a message board, complaining about one of the top coaches in women’s volleyball … complaining. And, you’ve done it multiple times now. Does that make you a petulant child??? Or, do you get a mulligan because you... well... ??? My bet is you've never coached a set of college-level volleyball? If no one complains that a round of 16 volleyball game is played at 10:00 AM, the time slot will likely never be changed. What time are men's NIT basketball games (you know, the teams that aren't good enough to make the 64-team tournament)... Are they typically at 10:00 am? How many people are on the edges of their seats watching those games?

When a program like Wisconsin or Nebraska, etc., argues for better time slots and better coverage, then the chances of any positive change happening goes up.

You can look at John Cook as a "petulant child" if you want... I'll view him as a coach who is a recognized leader in the sport - - and who tries to fight/argue/whine when he sees opportunities to better promote volleyball. For every team, not just his own.

Thanks for making my point! Had the recognized leader been focused on coaching his team versuses his TV time or been looking for opportunities to better promote his sport, he might have advanced further. There is a time and place to talk tv and promote the sport. Not when in the middle of a tough competition. Cook wins when focused. Loses when stomping his foot.

Oh...and...your're welcome!!!

 

[George A. Husker]

Thanks for making my point! Had the recognized leader been focused on coaching his team versuses his TV time or been looking for opportunities to better promote his sport, he might have advanced further. There is a time and place to talk tv and promote the sport. Not when in the middle of a tough competition. Cook wins when focused. Loses when stomping his foot.

Oh...and...your're welcome!!!

Proved your point? Ummm… no. Looks like you’ve confirmed the petulant child question though… .

There is a time and a place to promote the sport… Most marketing geniuses will tell you it’s best done in front of TV cameras during promotional events known as “press conferences” (which is exactly what Cook did). Weird, I know. Almost like he knows what he’s doing???

Maybe your way would be just as effective — if there was an actual audience listening to the complaints. If a high profile coach whines about 10am weekday round of 16 games — without cameras, microphones, or a press audience — did he even say anything at all?

So you believe that we’d still be playing if not for Cook complaining about the 10am time slot? His insensitive, clueless decision caused a loss of focus which directly led to the loss to Oregon? Geez… time to make a coaching change , don’t you think? I mean, gosh. Oh wait… did he mention the 10am time slot beef prior to getting handled much more easily by Minnesota? No? Did the team listen to his comments and decide to mail it in because their coach chose to whine about a time slot instead of answering dozens of repetitive, numbing questions about the negative impact Kinzie Knuckles’ injury has had on the team’s play… ??? That seems to be your theory?

If next year the round of 16 games have a better time slot, and therefore a bigger audience, will you claim it’s just by chance? Seems like John Cook has been and continues to be instrumental in growing the sport at Nebraska and across the country… despite not following your wise counsel.

 

[Skerfan]

Perhaps John Cook should stop whining about what time they are playing a game and focus on coaching in stead. His incessant whining every year at the NCAA Tournament is getting old. His focus should be on winning not what time they play.

I love listening to guys in the bleachers question hall of fame coaches. Maybe he can hire you as a consultant.