Dani Busboom Kelly Discusses Why Nebraska is Her Dream Job, What Surprised Her Since Taking Over

Jeff: You’re sitting in a very familiar chair. We talked to someone sitting in that chair with kind of that same backdrop a couple of months ago. Tell us, Dani, how long has this been your dream job? And when did you first sort of start talking with John [Cook] about wanting to be the next person to sit in that chair?

Dani Busboom Kelly: You know, it’s definitely been a dream job since I got into coaching, but you never really know where your path’s gonna go. I mean coaching is so much about timing, opportunity, and you really have no clue what kind of opportunities are going to come your way and at what time of your life they’re gonna come your way.

So, once I got to Louisville, it was like, “okay, I'm going to do the best I can here and make this my ‘dream job’ and, and see what happens.” So, I really started talking to John about it more, you know, in 2021, but there was never a date or a thought of like, when this could happen. It was more like, when I talked about other jobs, he would just bring up, “you know, if you want to come to Nebraska, you should stay at Louisville.” 

You know, I never really was that serious about ever leaving Louisville for anywhere besides Nebraska. But when he started making comments like that, I started thinking, well, I guess that could happen in this window of time that would work for me.

“It wasn’t a complete no-brainer”

Lincoln: When you start talking to John about potentially succeeding him, is there any risk or do that making nervous? It’s like, “yes, I want your job.” Or did the tone of the conversation take a different direction this past year when you say, “maybe we're getting close to this actually finally happening?”

Dani Busboom Kelly: Yeah, I don't really know. It was never a thought of like, “I really want this to happen.” It was more just talking to John and I never really believed he would retire, to be honest. I went about my daily life and my job in Louisville; This wasn't going to happen anytime soon.

But when it got really serious after Christmas, really is when it started getting serious; It was like, wow, this might happen. And then the tone was more “are you sure you want this job?” Because I think a lot of people know Louisville is a great place. And it was a great gig.

Even though Nebraska is my dream job and it's home – and even if it wasn't home, I think it's most people's dream job who work in the volleyball world – but it still wasn't, a complete no-brainer. Like there's no way I would ever turn it down.

Jeff: If it wasn't a no-brainer, what all had to line up to make this the right situation in the right time?

Dani Busboom Kelly: I really wanted to finish out through the Final Four in Louisville. When I got hired, that was announced shortly after, maybe a year after that it was going to be in Louisville in 2024. And I was hoping I wouldn't have to pick between coming to Nebraska or giving up and giving up that Final Four opportunity. Because a few years ago, I knew we'd have a team that could potentially make it. And that could be a realistic goal.

And then I think, you know, personal life always plays into it a little bit and having my second child and seeing my husband was a hair concerned about having two young kids with no family nearby. So, I mean, that made it the icing on the cake for timing wise. And then, I think the biggest thing is, you know, wanting John to be happy with when he decides to leave and not feel like there's somebody pushing him to make a decision. Or, if his timing doesn’t line up with mine then he can't retire when he wants.

It was mainly those three things.

First impressions of Nebraska AD Troy Dannen

Lincoln: You mentioned it ultimately was the athletic director’s decision to hire you. John had a finger on the scale, but what were your conversations like with Troy Dannen and what were your impressions of him as an athletic director?

Dani Busboom Kelly: Well, it went pretty quick. So, it was really one or two conversations with him. But my impressions were off the charts because I felt like he's just a normal guy. You're not talking to somebody who thinks that they, you know, have some aura about them. He really cares about the athletes foremost. And you can tell that from the get go, and that everything the University is going to do, the athletic department is going to be athlete focused. In fact, gets lost a lot in athletic departments.

And then he cared about volleyball and I think just the way he handled everything and our conversation and the way he spoke to John; I think it just spoke volumes to him and the kind of person he is and how much he cares about this program. And even though he's only been here a short time, he gets it. I think that being from a smaller town in Iowa and in the Midwest, it helps him understand Nebraska volleyball and women's athletics in general.

What is unique about the Nebraska job?

Jeff: You know, every program obviously is unique and Nebraska maybe has some things about it that make it, I don't know if you can say, the most unique about programs in the country. But what have you seen so far that is portable to Nebraska from Louisville from your coaching style, your system, the way that you like to operate? And what is unique about Nebraska that you might have to adjust to, whether that's a positive or negative?

Dani Busboom Kelly: I think a lot of things are portable. Our staff in Nebraska is pretty great.  And the way I want practice to flow and the way I want to ran is just seamless because the staff is really well prepared here, and ready to take on new challenges and to be creative on their own. So that's been amazing.

I think the culture of the team and this might be a surprise, I don't really know what I would call it, but the culture here is really great and the team is super tight. And I've just been really impressed with their vibe as a team. And I didn't really know what to expect. And I do think when you come from a program you've built and obviously I think really highly of the team at Louisville and I'm like, Oh, nobody's going to have it as good as we had it at Louisville.

Well, then you get here and I'm like, “Oh wow, this is really good too.” So it was a pleasant surprise. I was just been really impressed with them. But something that’s new; the attention to detail at Nebraska's – you forget a little bit when you go away – when you come back, it's like, wow, it's impressive.

And then of course, the fans and the excitement around the program. And people wanting to learn and be a part of it. You know, it's a lot, but it's one of the things that makes it so special.

2025 schedule

Lincoln: One of the challenges that you face coming ahead too is the schedule that John left you. Have you had a chance to thank him for the schedule?

Dani Busboom Kelly: [jokingly] I already tried to get out of some of those games and it couldn't happen. I was like, are you kidding me? Like Pitt, Stanford and Kentucky; First three games? I I can't get away from them.

Jeff: Yeah, was China busy? Could you not play Italy to start the season?

Dani Busboom Kelly: I know! I had known about the Pitt and Stanford thing because the AVCA, but I didn't know that Nebraska was playing Kentucky. So when I got that, I'm like, really John, Kentucky again? I’ve been telling the team, like you guys have no idea. Like we, we got to win these games like that. It's a big deal to me to beat those opponents.

For more from Dani Busboom Kelly, including how long has she had her eye to being John Cook's successor and how it all went down, watch the full interview below!. They also discuss what we can we expect from Nebraska's style of play, assistant coaching roles, and why Nebraska will never play another spring match on Derby Day.

Plus, LOVB Omaha reaches the league championship match, the Supernovas clinch a PVF playoff berth and John Cook's name goes on the arena he never wanted (until he did).

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