Latest news with #NationalAssistantCoachoftheYear
Yahoo
08-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Flathead High School speech coach wins Assistant Coach of the Year
Mar. 7—Flathead High School's Scott O'Donnell was selected as Assistant Coach of the Year for the Montana West District of the National Speech and Debate Association. He will be up for the National Assistant Coach of the Year, which will be awarded during the national speech and debate tournament in June. Scott O'Donnell said the award means a lot and is validation that the work he's doing is making an impact. "It's one of those of those things as a teacher you don't always know if you're doing good for kids. As a coach, it's proof I did something for a community I care about. It's really an honor. There are so many coaches out there who deserve it and put in so much time and effort," he said. Nominated by fellow Flathead speech and debate coach, teaching colleague and father, Sean O'Donnell described him as an enthusiastic coach. "Like many coaches, Scott brings enthusiasm to every practice and tournament and deeply believes in speech and debate. However, his greatest strength is his recognition that we do speech and debate not for trophies, but for the way it changes lives every single day," Sean O'Donnell stated in the nomination letter. A 2020 Flathead graduate, Scott O'Donnell coaches the same short prep events he competed in as a student — extemporaneous speaking and impromptu speaking — for the junior varsity squad. It is his first year coaching at Flathead and he previously coached the Hellgate High School team for three years while attending college. "These are the events I have the most experience in and I want to pass on that knowledge to the next generation of competitors," he said. Sean O'Donnell noted his special skillset in drawing out the talent of "highly independent" albeit "rascally boys." "Beyond competitive success, one of Scott's cornerstone beliefs is that speech and debate will help competitors become better people," Sean O'Donnell said. "Scott's special talent is that he is able to corral these students to be within the guideposts of good behavior, while still allowing them the independence to find joy in the activity. Both at Flathead and at Hellgate, he has developed the relationships to help those students grow and mature, a gift that will help them for years to come," he noted. Scott was also described as an innovator who thinks outside the box when helping individual students find success. "There is no question that Scott O'Donnell's students have had a tremendous amount of success. In his first three years at Hellgate High School, he took a nearly non-existent short prep squad and made it one of the more competitive squads in the state. For the past two years, Maxime Diaz has consistently been a finalist in extemporaneous speaking and was a 2024 NSDA (National Speech and Debate Association) qualifier in extemporaneous speaking. This year, the two students from Flathead that Scott worked with the most extensively were respectively the highest-placing finalists in extemporaneous and impromptu speaking at state. "Although a young coach, he is already making his mark on the competitive success of his squads," Sean O'Donnell said. Reporter Hilary Matheson may be reached at 758-4431 or hmatheson@
Yahoo
07-02-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Dani Busboom Kelly formally introduced as Nebraska vollleyball head coach
LINCOLN, Neb. (KCAU) – A new era is officially underway for Nebraska volleyball, who introduced Dani Busboom Kelly as the fourth head coach in program history on Thursday afternoon in Lincoln. The Nebraska native and former Husker takes the torch from four-time NCAA Champion John Cook after he announced his retirement after 25 seasons at the helm. The 2021 AVCA National Coach of the Year comes back to a place she once called home after spending the last eight seasons as the head coach of a Louisville program that appeared in two NCAA Championship Matches and won four ACC titles. A return to Lincoln was a move Busboom Kelly always desired, making the moment even sweeter. 'We will work tirelessly for the people that love the Huskers. To the 2025 team, I can't wait to get to know you and work with you. We'll approach each day with fire in our bellies and love in our heart for everybody that supports us,' Busboom Kelly said. John said it a few days ago. I'm going to dress a little better than he does, and we'll probably have a little more fun off the court. But, the core values and the mission behind Nebraska volleyball will always remain the same. Thank you again, Husker Nation. This has been a homecoming fit for a queen.' The Nebraska native was the starting libero on Nebraska's 2006 national championship team and an assistant coach on the 2015 national championship squad. Busboom Kelly was named the AVCA National Assistant Coach of the Year in 2016 in her final season at Nebraska, departing for the head coaching job at Louisville In her first season with the Cardinals, she led Louisville to an ACC title and an NCAA Tournament appearance. The former Husker compiled a 203-44 record during her stint in 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
29-01-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Dani Busboom Kelly tabbed as Nebraska volleyball head coach, replacing John Cook after 25 seasons
LINCOLN, Neb. (Courtesy of Nebraska Huskers Athletics) – One of Nebraska's own is coming home to lead the Nebraska volleyball program. Dani Busboom Kelly was named the fourth head coach in program history on Wednesday by Nebraska Director of Athletics Troy Dannen. Busboom Kelly will succeed her former coach and mentor, John Cook, who announced his retirement on Wednesday after 25 seasons as Nebraska's head volleyball coach. A Husker national champion player and assistant coach, Busboom Kelly has spent the last eight years building Louisville into a national power. The Cardinals have reached two NCAA Championship matches, three NCAA Semifinals, five regional finals and have won four ACC titles. Busboom Kelly has compiled a 203-44 (.822) record in her eight seasons at Louisville, including a 120-15 (.889) mark over the last four years, which is the second-best winning percentage in the country during that span. This past season, the Cardinals reached the NCAA Championship match for the second time in the last three seasons. 'We are excited to welcome Dani and her family back to Lincoln to continue our tradition of excellence in our volleyball program,' Dannen said. 'She has demonstrated outstanding leadership at the highest levels of the sport and I am confident that our program will remain among the nation's elite for years to come. This is a special place that needs an exceptional coach, and we have her. Welcome to Dani and her family!' Busboom Kelly was the starting libero on Nebraska's 2006 national championship team, and she was an assistant coach when the Huskers won the 2015 national championship in Omaha. She took the helm at Louisville late in 2016 after being named AVCA National Assistant Coach of the Year in her final season as a Husker assistant, and she has guided the Cardinals to heights the program has never experienced. A Cortland, Neb., native, Busboom Kelly has agreed to a six-year contract to return home to lead her alma mater. She will be formally introduced as the Huskers' head coach on Thursday, Feb. 6 at 2 p.m. at the Bob Devaney Sports Center. The welcome event will be open to the public, with an introductory press conference to follow. 'The opportunity to come home to Nebraska is more than a dream come true,' Busboom Kelly said. 'I want to thank Troy Dannen, Dr. Jeffrey Gold, and Kristen Brown for their trust in me to continue the legacy of Nebraska volleyball. A huge thank you to John Cook. I would not be here without his mentorship and support. I've gotten chills listening to the roars in the Coliseum and now Devaney since I was nine years old. Nebraska is the greatest place in the world to play volleyball and I am honored to be a part of it once again! My family and I can't wait to get to work and bring more championships home. Go Big Red!' In her first season at Louisville in 2017, Busboom Kelly took over a program coming off a 12-18 season and led UofL to a 24-7 record, an ACC title and an NCAA Tournament appearance. Picked eighth in the ACC preseason poll, she coached two players to major conference postseason awards, ACC Setter of the Year (Wilma Rivera) and ACC Defensive Player of the Year (Molly Sauer). For her efforts, she was named the AVCA East Region Coach of the Year for the first of four times at Louisville. Following her first season, Busboom Kelly was named the head coach of the U.S. Collegiate National Team Europe Tour, leading them to the gold medal in the European Global Challenge. The Cardinals continued to improve each season, reaching the NCAA Tournament Second Round in 2018 and the program's first-ever NCAA Regional Final in 2019. During the shortened 2020-21 season, Busboom Kelly's Cardinals went 15-3 and won the ACC Championship, and she was named ACC Coach of the Year. Louisville broke through in a big way in 2021, winning 32 straight matches to begin the season before finishing the year in the NCAA Semifinals for the first time in program history. Busboom Kelly was again named ACC Coach of the Year as well as AVCA National Coach of the Year, as the Cardinals achieved their first No. 1 ranking in program history. She became the first woman in NCAA history to coach an undefeated regular season, and two Louisville players (Tori Dilfer and Anna Stevenson) earned the program's first-ever AVCA All-America First Team honors. The Cardinals finished 31-3 in 2022 and reached the NCAA Final for the first time in school history, falling to top-seeded Texas. Busboom Kelly was the ACC Coach of the Year for the third year in a row, as the Cardinals won their third straight ACC title. Claire Chaussee was voted ACC Player of the Year, and Amaya Tillman won the NCAA Elite 90 Award for having the best cumulative GPA at the NCAA Championship. After going 27-5 in 2023 with another regional final appearance and another ACC Player of the Year honor (Anna DeBeer), the Cardinals began the 2024 season with pressure to get back to the NCAA Semifinals, which were being played at the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville. Not only did the Cardinals qualify for the NCAA Semifinals in their own city, they also impressively turned aside top-seeded Pittsburgh, 3-1, despite losing their top hitter DeBeer for the tournament early in set four. Prior to her time at Louisville, Busboom Kelly played a vital role on the Husker coaching staff, assisting with Nebraska's setters, liberos, outside hitters and recruiting. Regarded as one of the best recruiters in the nation, Busboom Kelly helped Nebraska's resurgence to the forefront of college volleyball, as the Huskers captured the 2015 NCAA Championship at the CenturyLink Center in Omaha, the same place Busboom Kelly won the national title as a player for the Huskers in 2006. Behind Busboom Kelly's recruiting efforts, the Huskers' 2013 signing class was ranked No. 1 in the nation by and the 2015 class was also a top-five class. From that group Mikaela Foecke went on to become the third freshman to be named Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA Championship. Busboom Kelly helped the Huskers to a 134-30 record and NCAA Regional Final appearances in all five seasons. Before joining the Husker staff in 2012, she was an assistant coach at Tennessee from 2009-10, and an assistant coach at Louisville in 2011. As a captain at Nebraska, Busboom moved from setter to libero in 2006 to help Nebraska's defense and finished her career as one of only two players to rank among NU's all-time leaders in both digs (1,281) and assists (2,873). She was a four-year starter for Cook, guiding NU to a 124-10 record, three Big 12 titles, two NCAA Final appearances and a national title in 2006. Busboom was considered the Big 12's best libero in 2006, as she helped NU limit opponents to a Big 12-low .144 hitting percentage. She set Nebraska's single-season digs record (580) in her first year as a libero. She notched her best defensive performance in the NCAA Semifinals against UCLA, totaling a career-high 29 digs, which ranks as the second-best postseason performance in school history. In addition to her accomplishments on the court, Busboom excelled off the court for the Huskers. She was a 2006 second-team Academic All-District VII selection, while earning six Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll accolades and becoming a three-time first-team Academic All-Big 12 honoree. She earned a bachelor's degree in communication studies from Nebraska in 2007. Following her graduation, Busboom spent time with the U.S. Women's National Training Team before working as a sales representative for an Omaha insurance company. She also worked as a sideline reporter for radio broadcasts of Nebraska volleyball matches on the Husker Sports Network and was an assistant coach with USA Volleyball's Select A2 Program. Dani and her husband, former Nebraska football player Lane Kelly, were married in the summer of 2010 and have a son, 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
