• last year
Transcript
00:00 (upbeat music)
00:02 - Welcome to the Carriker Chronicles,
00:10 the people show.
00:11 Checking the pulse of Husker Nation,
00:13 ladies and gentlemen, I've had a bunch
00:14 of awesome guests already, got some more awesome guests
00:17 coming up, an awesome guest today.
00:19 So if you missed it, go back and check out Bill Bush,
00:21 I put that out on Tuesday, Kenny Bell's gonna be joining me
00:24 on Monday, I'm also gonna be doing a special edition
00:26 Saturday morning of the Carriker Chronicles.
00:28 Don't think I've ever done one of those in history,
00:30 so tune in for that on Saturday morning.
00:33 All right, but today I am joined by an Olympic gold
00:36 medalist, a three-time Olympic medalist,
00:38 a three-time All-American Big 12 Player of the Year,
00:41 Academic All-American National Champion,
00:44 Nebraska Athletics Hall of Famer,
00:46 and current Nebraska volleyball coach, Miss Jordan Larson.
00:50 How you doing, my friend?
00:52 - I'm good, how are you?
00:53 - I'm doing good, and before I get my first question,
00:56 I wanna throw something out to the people.
00:57 All right, if you just wanna show some love
00:59 for the Husker volleyball team, by the way,
01:01 the number two team in the country, hit that like button.
01:04 Now, you're from Hooper, Nebraska, and you played
01:07 from 2005 to 2008 with the Huskers.
01:10 You've had, obviously, a great career at Nebraska,
01:12 great career since, now you're coaching.
01:14 But my question is, my first one,
01:16 is during your time at Nebraska, okay,
01:19 your team's finished with four top five
01:21 NCAA tournament finishes, four Big 12 titles,
01:24 a national title runner-up finish,
01:28 easy for me to say, in 2005, a national title in 2006,
01:32 and career wins and loss, 127 wins, eight losses.
01:36 My question is this, what made the teams
01:39 you were on at Nebraska, okay, so good?
01:43 - Yeah, that's a great question.
01:44 Obviously, we had talent, right?
01:47 You can't, obviously, win without talent,
01:49 but I think what made, I don't know,
01:51 and I think what John has always done a good job
01:53 is every team is unique, and also,
01:56 their identity every year, right?
01:58 And so, culture is really huge,
02:00 and I do feel like that's an emphasis here.
02:03 And I think that we really set out
02:07 to have a good culture every single year,
02:09 and a cool identity or goal, how we represent ourselves.
02:13 And so, I think about every single year,
02:16 we kinda had our own identity, right?
02:18 Even though we had success year to year,
02:19 we could be very complacent, like,
02:21 oh, well, it should just show up, you know?
02:23 But I think reestablishing every year something new,
02:27 and something new to strive for.
02:28 So, I think also learning that,
02:32 like, really set a tone for me professionally,
02:35 and like, how I can kind of create something more
02:38 outside of just pure talent, right?
02:40 Like, I think winning games isn't just based off talent.
02:43 - For sure, and so, I'm always intrigued
02:47 by things like this, like people keeping in touch,
02:50 and sometimes, you know, we keep in touch
02:52 with some people, or lose touch,
02:53 especially former teammates as years go along.
02:56 But another former Husker volleyball great,
02:59 Dani "Buzz" Boom-Kelley, she's married
03:01 to former Nebraska long snapper Lane Kelley,
03:03 as a head coach at Louisville.
03:05 She was 2021 National Coach of the Year.
03:07 They've had two straight Final Fours there.
03:09 She's had with the Cardinals.
03:11 Do you still keep in touch with her at all,
03:13 and what are your thoughts on the success
03:15 that she's had at Louisville so far in her coaching career?
03:17 - Yeah, yeah, we've, I mean, obviously,
03:20 like, we had a pretty good relationship,
03:22 you know, going through college.
03:23 I was only, I think, two years together with her,
03:25 maybe actually one year, I don't,
03:27 my memory doesn't serve me right,
03:28 but I just always admire her as a player,
03:32 and just, she was so gritty,
03:33 and it doesn't surprise me,
03:36 the success that she's had at Louisville.
03:38 And yeah, we've actually, I would say,
03:41 like, I've always just watched from afar,
03:43 and tried to stay in touch, but like you said,
03:44 like, when you're a head coach of the program,
03:46 you have time to run the program,
03:48 and not much outside of that.
03:50 So, yeah, in the recent years,
03:52 reconnecting and just, obviously,
03:54 congratulating her on all her success so far,
03:56 and just really proud of her,
03:58 and obviously, her story is incredible, right?
04:00 Small town Nebraska as well, kid, you know,
04:03 and doing big things, and obviously,
04:05 doing big things in the volleyball world, right?
04:07 And elevating female athletes, like, it's awesome to see,
04:11 and I will say that I'm a little jealous of her swag,
04:14 and the gear she's wearing half the time.
04:17 I'm like, dang, I gotta set my game up.
04:19 So, it's really cool to see that,
04:21 and to see her success in the game as well.
04:24 - So, you touched on it a little bit earlier,
04:26 but, okay, so people across the country
04:29 like to say that Nebraska football can't,
04:31 won't be great again, whatever,
04:33 yet Nebraska volleyball has been great for decades.
04:36 Now, you did touch on it a little bit earlier,
04:38 but what has helped Husker volleyball
04:40 be so good for so long?
04:42 - Yeah, that's a great question.
04:44 I mean, I think it's, yeah,
04:45 just this cultural piece, right?
04:47 And I think that, like, when we recruit the best, right?
04:51 Like, I think sometimes people, you know,
04:54 it's hard as younger athletes, you know,
04:55 you have this, oh my gosh, they're recruiting this player,
04:57 but if you wanna be good and playing at the highest level,
05:01 you gotta play against the best on a daily, right?
05:03 And so, I think we've been able to really recruit well,
05:07 and I think that just goes to, like,
05:08 the tradition of the program, and then obviously,
05:11 also, again, this massive cultural piece,
05:13 and like, there's more to the game than just talent,
05:16 and I think learning how to kind of function in that space
05:20 is really, really important,
05:21 and I think we do a really good job here
05:23 of understanding that, and then obviously, too,
05:25 I think now you see kind of this pipeline, right?
05:28 We have, you know, three Huskers on the national team
05:30 that have been pretty consistent, right?
05:32 And I think that also shows, too, you know,
05:34 something like if you wanna play long-term,
05:36 like, there's success coming from the program as well,
05:39 so I think that in itself, it helps, too.
05:42 And just the overall fan base, I mean, right?
05:44 Like, this is, like, unbelievable fan base.
05:47 Like, I mean, there's really no place in the country
05:50 like Husker Nation in the bottom, you know?
05:53 Like, it's really so, so special,
05:55 and like, for athletes to experience that,
05:57 and that also sets them up for success down the road, right?
05:59 When you're playing in Brazil in front of 10,000, right?
06:02 Like, this environment really sets that up
06:04 for, you know, understanding how to manage nerves
06:08 and high-pressure situations,
06:10 so you don't get that everywhere.
06:12 - All right, talk to me about Coach John Cook.
06:14 What helps set him, sets him apart
06:17 from so many other coaches across the country?
06:20 - You know, I can't speak for other people,
06:22 and obviously even, you know,
06:24 John has been running the program well,
06:25 and I've also been on my own journey, right?
06:27 Like, I've been exposed to a lot of different coaches,
06:29 and so I think the one thing
06:30 that you think about high-level leaders, right,
06:33 is, like, they're constantly evolving
06:34 and trying to be better, right?
06:36 And I think he's definitely has, don't get me wrong,
06:39 like, set ways of how he does things,
06:42 which I think has set a standard across all levels.
06:44 However, I think he's trying to always tweak
06:47 how to get better, how to make his players better,
06:49 how to put people in place to make that happen,
06:52 and even if that's bringing in another consultant
06:54 or just getting another look at the program
06:56 of, like, how can I continue to be better?
06:58 I think he's definitely open to that
07:00 and to constantly being evaluated, which I think is huge.
07:03 - So he has a pretty calm demeanor, okay?
07:06 Obviously, he gets frustrated sometimes, like anybody else,
07:08 but my question is this.
07:10 Does he ever really truly get riled up?
07:12 It's hard to tell when you're just watching him
07:14 from the stands and I'm always like,
07:15 "Man, does this guy ever truly get riled up?"
07:17 So I'm just kind of curious.
07:19 - Yeah, no, definitely.
07:20 Yeah, he gets fired up, which, I mean, you know,
07:22 I think it's, but I think the longer I've been in the game,
07:26 right, and around coaches, right,
07:28 I think about even cards in the national team,
07:29 like, super calm and, like, when,
07:31 obviously there are a lot of touch points
07:33 that are important, right,
07:34 and being able to hold the standard,
07:35 but this term, like, calm brings calm.
07:38 Like, if you're calm under pressure,
07:39 your players are gonna be calm
07:40 and I feel like sometimes I've had exposure, you know,
07:44 overseas where, you know, there's a lot of chaos
07:46 coming from the sideline and it just, it adds stress
07:49 and it's, I don't know,
07:52 something like me personally as a player,
07:55 like, I value, like, hey,
07:56 we can have direct, honest conversations
07:59 and I think there's a way to handle that
08:00 and, like, hey, this is the standard we operate
08:04 and we're not meeting the standard right now
08:05 and so I think being able to handle that appropriately
08:08 is really important and then to see
08:10 other players see that consistently is equally as important.
08:13 - So you've kind of referenced,
08:14 you've played all over the country, all over the world,
08:17 so what has stood out the most to you
08:19 playing on the Olympic teams, to the national teams,
08:22 to teams across the country?
08:23 What has stood out the most to you
08:25 through some of those experiences?
08:27 - Yeah, I think one of the greatest things,
08:29 you know, every single year is a new problem
08:32 and you're trying to find a solution to it
08:34 and it's how can we be most efficient
08:36 in trying to find that solution
08:38 and it's not always gonna look the same,
08:40 it's not always gonna feel the same,
08:41 but how can we work at a parameter of, like,
08:43 hey, this is the standard we wanna operate at,
08:45 this is what we know consistently wins championships,
08:49 so if we're constantly evaluating to that standard,
08:52 then we should all be operating at a pretty high level,
08:54 but I think it ultimately starts with, like,
08:57 the person and the individual, like, checking themselves,
08:59 like, hey, like, am I doing everything in my power
09:01 to be the best I can today
09:03 and if you can play your head down at night
09:05 knowing that you did that,
09:06 I think then, you know, we're all striving to be the best
09:10 and therefore those around us are gonna be the best,
09:12 you know, and so, I don't know,
09:14 I just, I think that's what makes it so fun
09:16 is, like, every year is so different
09:18 and trying to solve the problem is huge.
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09:43 All right, so let's get to a little bit more.
09:44 I tend to go back before I go forwards in my interviews,
09:47 so let's go to current times.
09:50 What brought you back,
09:51 and I know you've been asked this elsewhere,
09:52 but I wanted to ask you here on this show,
09:54 what brought you back to be a full-time assistant coach
09:57 on Nebraska's current volleyball team?
09:59 - Had some personal things go down last year.
10:02 I was obviously at Texas for a little bit
10:04 and I think the ultimate goal
10:06 was always to get into coaching, right?
10:07 I really, I feel like the sport has given me so much
10:12 and I feel like I've now seen the game
10:14 at so many different levels
10:15 and I feel like I just,
10:17 I wanna share what has been taught to me
10:19 and I love the game so much
10:22 and I wanna be surrounded by it
10:23 and so I think for me, it was a no-brainer.
10:27 And the fact that John is allowing me to not only coach
10:30 but continue to try to play
10:32 is really, really special
10:35 and something that I don't take for granted.
10:37 And just to see, you know, being around these girls
10:41 and seeing their, like, these little,
10:44 like, their brains are going
10:46 and they're trying to fix, like,
10:48 little things here and there
10:49 and I just, I love seeing, like, the learning curve, right?
10:52 And I think about myself as I was learning
10:55 and, like, failing and then trying to redo it again
10:58 the next day.
10:59 I just, I love that environment
11:01 and I just love being around the sport.
11:02 So I think just giving back
11:05 is the main reason why I'm here.
11:07 - Now, this is a younger volleyball team.
11:10 There's no seniors on this team.
11:12 What's it like having a younger team
11:15 without any seniors like that?
11:17 - Yeah, you know, I think they are just doing a great job
11:20 of, like, hey, but, you know, we say, like, 137.
11:23 Like, when you think about the years
11:24 that they have been playing, right,
11:26 club years, like, the experience,
11:27 they have the experience, right?
11:29 And, like, leaning on, like, that they've put in work,
11:33 is it, is there work still to be done?
11:35 For sure.
11:36 But relying on the fact that, like,
11:38 hey, we're in this together and, you know,
11:40 it's, let's focus on our side of the net
11:43 and if we're really good on our side of the net,
11:45 then, you know, the people that are on the other side
11:47 really don't matter, you know?
11:48 And so we, I don't know, I'm just,
11:51 I'm really proud every day I come in
11:53 and you see this maturity
11:56 and this, like, determination to continue to be better
11:59 and it's really cool to see.
12:02 And the fact that, like, we're good,
12:05 but, like, now, you know, like,
12:06 we still have another year under the belt,
12:08 but, you know, think about next year,
12:10 you know, looking ahead, like, it's just,
12:12 it's really cool to see these girls
12:14 succeeding at a high level, you know,
12:16 like you said, like, without quote, unquote experience,
12:18 but they really actually do have a lot of experience.
12:21 - So, so far, the Huskers have been really good, 15 and 0.
12:25 They've had exactly 50 sets
12:27 and they've won 86% of those.
12:28 They're 43 and 7 if you just look at the sets, okay?
12:32 And they've beat six ranked teams,
12:34 including at the time on the road, number five, Stanford,
12:36 for the first time in a while.
12:37 Stanford is now number three in the country.
12:40 So what has led to the team's success so far this year?
12:44 - Yeah, I mean, I think it's just, again,
12:49 I would say this determination of, like,
12:52 hey, we continue to focus on our side
12:55 and how we continue to get better.
12:57 And I think just taking one point at a time,
13:00 literally it's one point, you know,
13:04 25 one point games, right, if you think each set.
13:06 So like, if you sometimes think of like,
13:08 oh my gosh, this season we have however many matches
13:12 and we got to win, like, it's so daunting.
13:15 But when you really like break it down into like,
13:17 hey, we just have to be good for this point.
13:19 And then we got to be good for the next point.
13:21 And like, when you isolate those situations,
13:23 like it really just kind of drops a lot of like,
13:26 external like, pressures around it.
13:29 So I think just being able to kind of
13:31 make something smaller in the big scheme of things
13:34 is been really huge.
13:36 - So I'm just gonna, I'm gonna hop on that
13:39 because I coach kids, my wife coaches kids.
13:41 We have 84 kids in 90,000 sports.
13:44 And I'm always telling them,
13:46 just control the controllables, okay?
13:49 Take the shot in front of you if it's basketball.
13:51 Run the play in front of you if it's football.
13:53 If the last play was a touchdown
13:55 or a 10 yard sack for loss, just play the next play.
13:58 So I love that you said that.
14:00 And if there's anybody out there who's coaching
14:02 from college to high school to kids,
14:03 like that is the biggest thing.
14:05 'Cause sometimes young kids just get overwhelmed too.
14:08 Now, we're gonna go ahead, well I'm going to
14:10 because I can, I'm on this side of the mic.
14:12 As a player, I would have never done this.
14:14 As a coach, I wouldn't do this.
14:16 But I'm gonna go ahead and do it
14:17 'cause, well, I'm over here and I can do it.
14:19 So we're gonna jump ahead to October 21st
14:22 and Lincoln, Nebraska, number one Wisconsin,
14:25 number two Nebraska.
14:27 We're breaking the cardinal rule
14:28 of never look past your next opponent.
14:30 But just for the sake of having fun,
14:32 what have you seen so far from Wisconsin
14:36 that makes them so successful to this point?
14:39 - Yeah, you know, to be honest,
14:40 I think I've maybe watched like one or two sets of theirs.
14:44 - Oh, that's such a coach answer!
14:46 (laughing)
14:47 - I know, I know, I know.
14:49 And don't get me wrong, I watch a lot of volleyball.
14:52 So it even shocks me that I haven't thought about it.
14:55 But I think ultimately too, it's like you said,
14:59 just we're trying to be as present as we can.
15:01 Again, Michigan State on Friday.
15:03 And I think even as a player, right?
15:05 I think even when we boil down to life, right?
15:08 Like we often are so busy thinking ahead and what's to come.
15:12 It's like, hey man, I just gotta be good today.
15:14 If I'm good today, I can be good tomorrow, you know?
15:16 And so I think, you know, even for us,
15:20 it's like, you know, we gotta be good on Friday
15:23 and that will come.
15:25 But also too, it's like, hey, how are we doing on our side?
15:28 And ultimately that's what's gonna matter.
15:30 If we can continue to side out at a really high level,
15:33 no, it doesn't matter, you know?
15:35 So I think that's where our focus is
15:37 and for sure where my focus is at.
15:39 - That's such a great answer.
15:40 And I love that I can be on this side of the mic
15:42 and I don't have to follow certain rules anymore.
15:44 But that was a great answer.
15:46 All right, last question I got for you.
15:48 Do you have a behind the scenes story
15:49 or maybe something that people don't know
15:51 that you'd be cool with sharing with the fine folks at home?
15:54 - Yeah, definitely.
15:55 I mean, I wouldn't say cool story,
15:56 but I just think that like oftentimes
15:58 it's a good lesson even for myself
16:00 that life from the outside may look shiny and pretty,
16:05 but I think sometimes people are dealing
16:07 with a lot internally.
16:08 And I think that it's just a good life lesson
16:11 that I've had to learn over the last couple of years
16:14 and to not assume and to kind of see people
16:17 where they're at.
16:18 So it's just something that I've really tried
16:20 to take to heart this last couple of years.
16:22 - It's very true.
16:23 You never know really what's going on
16:25 in someone else's life.
16:26 So I got a couple of questions for the fine folks at home
16:29 before I let Jordan get out of here.
16:31 All right, number one, will Nebraska,
16:33 let me know in the comments below,
16:34 will Nebraska end up at least in the Final Four this year
16:39 when it comes to volleyball?
16:40 Number two, will John Cook win at least
16:43 one more national title before he retires?
16:46 And when someone, number three,
16:49 when someone calls us a volleyball school,
16:51 does that make you proud of our volleyball team?
16:54 I know it makes me very, very proud.
16:56 And as always, ladies and gentlemen,
16:58 you can check out CarrikerChronicles.com.
17:00 It's just a fact, it's science.
17:02 All your football hopes and dreams will come true
17:04 if you go to that CarrikerChronicles.com.
17:06 I wanna thank Jordan for joining me.
17:08 I appreciate her time.
17:09 I know she's very busy.
17:11 So until next time, Husker Nation,
17:13 go Big Red and always remember.
17:15 - Throw the phones.