LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN)  – The Nebraska Athletic Department honored former volleyball coach John Cook with a statue on Thursday.

The 1-hour event featured University of Nebraska President Jeffrey Gold, Director of Athletics Troy Dannen, head volleyball coach Dani Busboom Kelly and Cook.

“Your role as a promoter and marketer of this sport, which is actually bigger than that, is a promoter and marketer of women’s athletics,” Dannen said. “Women’s athletics in this country is different today than it was when you started.”

On Jan. 29, Cook announced he would be retiring after 25 seasons leading the Huskers.  He won four national championships.

Before Nebraska, Cook spent seven seasons as the head coach at Wisconsin.

He has a career winning percentage of .834%, the fifth-best of all time in Division I volleyball.