Nebraska volleyball coach John Cook's new contract is designed to help him buy a horse

Nebraska women's volleyball coach John Cook is one of the best coaches in the sport. His new contract comes with a raise but also something you wouldn't expect to see: money that will go toward helping him buy a horse.

Nebraska announced Wednesday that Cook had signed a new five-year contract that will run through Jan. 31, 2029. Cook's annual salary will be $825,000 − a $75,000 annual increase − and he is eligible to receive bonuses if his program reaches certain levels of athletic achievement. The contract also includes a deferred compensation agreement. In addition, he'll get a $70,000 retention bonus on July 1, 2024.

Including the $1 million deferred compensation deal, Cook will have a contract that has an average annual value of just over $1 million.

The retention bonus will be used to help Cook get a horse.

"When (athetic director) Troy (Dannen) and I talked about my contract, I proposed that instead of an annual escalating salary that some coaches do, it would mean a great deal to me if the Nebraska athletic department would consider supporting me in purchasing a horse out in central Nebraska that I've had my eye on," Cook said in a statement.

Cook added the horse, called No. 415, was born and bred at the Pitzer Ranch in Ericson, Nebraska, and is a "once-in-a-lifetime performance horse."

"Troy loved the idea and while they couldn't specifically write that into the contract, the retention bonus will be used for No. 415. I am honored that Troy was supportive of my idea and it means a lot to me," Cook said.

It seems like a small price to pay for one of the most successful coaches in women's volleyball.

Since Cook took over in 2000, Nebraska has won four NCAA championships, 13 conference titles and has the best winning percentage. Cornhuskers fans broke the national and world attendance record for any women's sporting event in August when 92,003 people packed into the football team's Memorial Stadium for "Volleyball Day," when the team played the Omaha Mavericks.

This past season, the Cornhuskers went 33-2 and lost to Texas in the national championship game. The team opens the 2024 season on Aug. 30 against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.

Cook will be trying to win another national championship. But might he become an award-winning horse owner, too?

Contributing: Steve Berkowitz