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Former Nebraska volleyball coach John Cook made his feelings known about Harper Murray's inspiring growth after her suspension in 2024. Cook recently retired after serving the Cornhuskers for 25 years.
Murray is currently competing in the 2025 spring volleyball season; however, the 2024 season wasn't the same for her. She was suspended from the spring match on May 4, 2024, because of her previous DUI citation in April and a shoplifting charge. The player was also charged with obstruction of a peace officer and possessing a fake ID.
It was a rock-bottom phase for Murray, and Cook recently threw light upon it in a conversation with Hurrdat Sports. He opened up about Murray's growth after the downfall and how she has been taking advantage of her platform now. Showing a picture of them from the Wisconsin match, Cook said:
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"This was after the Wisconsin match. It's funny how that kind of worked out, but I think for Harper, she was at rock bottom, and to get to that point was a heck of an effort, and I just sent her something yesterday. I texted her about you really don't find out who you are until you hit rock bottom and see how you can come out of it, and it was kind of a quote like that, and she did it and she's taking advantage of her platform now, which is pretty awesome."
He further spoke about how Murray graced the Triple Crown and the Super Bowl with her presence and speech, inspiring the young generation.
"This was a kid who was in jail, and she's in the Super Bowl. Think about that. I mean, she's got a great platform to continue to inspire young people," Cook added.
Murray was last seen in action on April 26 while playing for Nebraska against Kansas at the John Cook Arena at the Bob Devaney Sports Center. Her team dominated with a score of 4-0.
Former Nebraska volleyball coach John Cook opened up about what he would miss the most about Harper Murray
John Cook announced his retirement on January 29, 2025, after serving as the Nebraska volleyball team's head coach for 25 years since 2000. He took all the fans by surprise by opening up about his retirement and stating the multiple factors that drove him to the decision of retiring.
Two months after his retirement, Cook appeared at one of the League One Volleyball Games, where he spoke about his bond with Harper Murray. Both disclosed what they were going to miss the most about each other. Opening up about Murray's habit of sneakily checking the practice sheet in his office, Cook said via Hurrdat Sports:
"Harper doesn't know this but I talk about how Harper sneaks in my office and looks at the practice plan because she wants to know what we're doing and I'm going to miss that obviously we're going to see each other in the gym it's just that little connection that little time or she'll send me a picture of her and Heinrich or something like that. Some of that will keep going but that's what I'm going to miss."
Murray, on the other hand, said that it was hard for her, and she was going to miss seeing him every day. Dani Busboom Kelly succeeded Cook as the Nebraska volleyball team's head coach.
