Nebraska volleyball coach John Cook refuses to give up on troubled star Harper Murray. now she is growing
LINCOLN, Neb. — Harper Murray smiles and laughs every day. And she's been playing her best volleyball in her two seasons at Nebraska.
That alone lifts the spirits of Murray's teammates. Her happiness is important to them. The Huskers watched Murray's health deteriorate last spring amid a national battle over mental health. Two legal cases derailed the offseason after Murray was named the Big Ten's top freshman and third-team All-American.
But her path is about more than rejuvenation.
The college volleyball community and Nebraska's legions of fans have been keeping an eye on Murray's bond with Nebraska coach John Cook this fall.
“His connection with Harper is very special,” senior co-captain Lexi Rodriguez said. “I think everyone can see that, whether they’re on the court or not.”
Murray's rebound is defined in part by her unusual relationship with her coach of 68 years, who has been like a father figure to her since her death 13 years ago. Murray, 19, brings out a softer side to Cook that we rarely see. He treats her like a daughter.
“It's unconditional love,” said Cook, a four-time national champion coach, in his 25th season at Nebraska. “That's what it really is. That's what it takes to be a coach in this day and age, in this generation.”
They co-star in a TikTok video. She created an account for him and used his phone to manage his content. He looks forward to millions of views.
“He always asks what we're going to do next,” Murray said. “He loves it.”
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If the Huskers want to make a request to a coach, perhaps to adjust uniforms or adjust the schedule, Murray would be the pick. “You ask,” her teammates tell her, “because he'll tell you yes,” she said.
Cook doesn't say Murray is his favorite. But the Huskers know that to be true. that's ok. she needs him in her life.
@coachjohncook1 It’s not easy being a cowboy🤠 #nebraskavolleyball #fyp #nebraskatok ♬ Original song – Coachjohncook1
Second place Nebraska enters the final week of the regular season with a 28-1 record in the Big Ten. They won 54 of 59 sets in league play and will play at No. 4 Penn State on Friday and visit Maryland on Saturday. Postseason standings will be announced on Sunday.
Murray leads the Huskers with 3.29 kills and 27 aces per set. She is the No. 1 offensive option on the most balanced offensive team in the country. Her defense in the back row as a 6-rotation player has improved more than any other area of her game.
But three months ago, Murray was afraid to take the court in front of Nebraska fans during a preseason red-white scrimmage. Cook said she wondered what people would think. What will they say about her? Will she get booed?
Back up 8 months. Last December, Texas defeated No. 1 seed Nebraska in the national championship game. Murray did not play well, especially receiving the Longhorns' serves.
At a press conference after the loss, she appeared disappointed. A reporter asked her about her future.
“I think we can win three national championships in the next three years,” Murray said.
The comment sparked a firestorm on social media. Murray digested the reaction and became buried in negative thoughts. She fell into a depression that lasted several months. On April 5, she was charged with driving under the influence in Lincoln. Less than a month later, she was caught on surveillance camera shoplifting $65 worth of jewelry from a sporting goods store.
ESPN featured Murray's rise and fall in a one-hour documentary, “There's No Place Like Nebraska.” The show aired in August and tracked the Huskers' 2023 season and subsequent months.
Murray lost her spot on the U.S. women's U21 team. Her family feared she would cause physical harm. His mother, Sarah, was worried that Cook would fire Harper from the University of Nebraska team. Every time Mr. Cook spoke to Sarah over the course of several weeks, she sought reassurance about Harper's roster status. There was public pressure for him to abandon her.
“That thought crossed my mind,” Harper said. “But I think deep down I knew he wasn't going to give up on me that easily.”
Murray is the 2023 Big Ten Freshman of the Year and her on-court success continues to be helped by the support of head coach John Cook. (Courtesy of Nebraska Athletics)
Cook and Nebraska assistant coach Jalen Reyes began scouting Murray before he entered high school in Ann Arbor, Michigan. She attended a Huskers Dream Team camp in eighth grade and fell in love with everything about the Nebraska program.
As Murray developed into the No. 1 prospect in the 2023 class, her recruiting efforts intensified. She was named Gatorade Player of the Year and got to pick her own top school. But she values first impressions in Nebraska, and Ms. Cook won her mother's heart by keeping an eye on Harper and making sure her mother knew if her daughter made a bad decision she would let Sara know.
This is the message Mr. Cook sends to the parents of all the players he scouts.
“It's one thing to say that,” Harper said. “It's another thing to act on it.”
Even as her life went off track this year, Cook remained unfazed.
“I learned a long time ago that you have to do everything you can before you give up on kids,” the coach said.
Murray's suffering strengthened Cooke's devotion to her – and should not be interpreted as going easy on her. Harper said she saw a role model in her coach. He supported her, she said, “when someone else might not have.”
“I respect him,” Murray said. He's unlike anyone I've ever met. ”
Cook helped Murray create a checklist of items he needed to get back in good standing with the Huskers.
She has completed extensive community service and more than 100 hours of therapy, which continues in addition to court-ordered probation. Within the team environment, Murray worked to regain trust.
Cook often hears praise from former athletes and observers for Murray's development. He is amazed at her determination. She said many athletes in her situation will retire this year in search of a fresh start.
She couldn't leave. Not after everything Cook had done to help her.
“He wasn't happy with me,” Murray said. “But at the same time, he promised my mom that he would be there for me. And that's exactly what he did. He held me accountable. But he… He gave me grace.
“I have a lot of love and respect for him. I wouldn't be the person and player I am today without him, and I know I owe him a lot. One of my biggest goals in life is to make him proud, especially because we put a lot of effort into our program, which threw us into the gutter at some point.”
Murray's father, Vada, died when she was six years old. He was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2008 and battled the disease for three years until he was 43 years old. Vada was a standout safety for the Michigan State football team from 1987 to 1990 and appeared in three Rose Bowls. . He graduated and worked as a police officer in Ann Arbor.
Harper only has fragmentary memories of Vada. However, her father's absence bothers her. She wears his jersey number 27, just like her sister Kendall, who played on the Michigan volleyball team from 2020 to 2023.
The loss Harper experienced influenced Cook's approach to their relationship.
“There's a coach-player relationship,” Cook said. But it's built on trust. ”
Harper has seen their bond grow the most in the way they communicate. A TikTok video gives the public a glimpse of what it's like. But the roots of their connection run deeper. She said he was tough on her on the court. Harper asked Cook, who struggled with confidence before this season, to ease up and be more considerate.
he obeyed. However, it was only temporary.
“He can really piss me off,” she said. “But I know it’s because he wants what’s best for me.”
The moment last year that started Murray's downfall is approaching its one-year anniversary. Cook said she's not worried she'll suffer the same way again if the Huskers fail in December. She's more mature, he said. Her perspective changed.
Murray said he is as motivated as ever to win a national championship.
“I feel like I have something to prove,” she said.
Murray wears tape on his left hand during games. She has an “8'' marked on her little finger in honor of Rodriguez, who was Harper's guide, and the Murray family number “27'' on her ring finger. Harper has his coach's initials “JC” written on his index finger.
“He’s the most like a father figure to me,” she said.
(Top photo: Dylan Widger/Imagn Images)
