Harper Murray Hilariously Exposes Coach John Cook After His ‘Wimpiest’ Comment on Fellow Nebraska Teammate’s Play

Besides winning national titles and Coach of the Year awards, one of John Cook’s traits is his dry humor. Nowhere is this trait more prominent than during the Husker press conferences. So when John Cook addressed the media alongside Harper Murray and Olivia Mauch, the couch could not help but nonchalantly make a playful joke about Mauch’s service skills on the court.

When asked “What makes Olivia hard to pass?” Cook said, “I don’t know. It’s like the wimpiest serve, but it moves all over.” Neither Murray nor Mauch expected a comment like that, as they seemed simultaneously shocked and amused. Despite the playful jab, Cook also praised the player’s service in the same breath, saying how passing it becomes quite difficult.

“It dances, moves all over the place. Our players hate passing her in practice,” said John Cook. So it’s not hard to imagine that the opposition feels the same while passing Olivia Mauch’s serve during matches. However, Harper Murray and Mauch later made John Cook eat his words during practice. “Do you want me to serve to you? We’ll see if you can pass,” said the libero.

Today, Murray uploaded a video showing they weren’t joking about Mauch actually serving Coach Cook. “Okay, guys, so coach said Liv’s service is wimpy, so we’re gonna see if he can pass it…  Are you scared?” Murray said in her TikTok. While everyone in the video kept the playful vibes from yesterday’s presser, it proved Coach Cook was only partially right.

Mauch’s serve was far from ‘wimpy’ as the 68-year-old coach failed to pass it. “I can’t pass that!” admitted the veteran coach. However, the fact that he couldn’t control the ball while receiving the serve proved that the libero’s serve was indeed unpredictable. However, despite helping her teammate, Harper Murray also partially agreed with her coach.

Harper Murray made her thoughts known before Mauch’s redemption

The 19-year-old’s first reaction was disbelief when John Cook made the comment. However, when asked if passing the defensive specialist serve was truly difficult, Murray agreed with her coach. “Harper, you’ve probably had a chance to pass a little bit in practice. What is it doing in the air?” asked a reporter. Murray claimed that Mauch’s serve “just drops.”

“I know a lot of us don’t like passing,” added Harper Murray. However, the Nebraska Husker also added that the defensive specialist is constantly working on improving her servers. “I think she’s been working on her hand contact with Jordan,” revealed the outside hitter. Jordan Larson, who is the Huskers’ assistant coach, constantly gives Mauch feedback on how to improve.

And after facing Oliva Mauch’s improved serve on the court, it seems Coach Cook has changed his mind. As per Husker’s Illustrated writer Lincoln Arneal, Cook withdrew his ‘wimpy’ comment following the clip Murray posted on TikTok. “I could barely touch it. The thing is nasty,” said the six-time BIG10 Coach of the Year winner, according to Arneal.

While the whole thing may have been little more than a lighthearted joke, it also showcased a crucial aspect that has contributed to Nebraska’s success. It showed just how frankly John Cook speaks to his athletes; instead of sugarcoating things, the 68-year-old points out flaws in an inoffensive way. Yet, what did you think of this hilarious chain of events?