Jim Dey: Nebraska does what it takes to keep coach in the saddle

Jun. 10—A coach and his horse?

American folklore is full of stories about a boy and his beloved dog. Here's a similar story with a twist — maybe call it a spike — about a prominent college volleyball coach who found the horse of his dreams.

It's John Cook, the thoroughbred who leads the University of Nebraska's hugely successful women's volleyball program.

Rather than accept a retention bonus of $75,000, according to a recent story in the Wall Street Journal, Cook sought the athletic department's assistance in buying a horse.

"And not just any horse. Cook had his heart set on what he described as a 'once-in-a-lifetime performance horse' called No. 415, named for the number branded on his body as a colt," The Journal reported.

The university, naturally, agreed to help. So, "Cook will now remain at the helm of the Cornhuskers for at least the next five seasons — and No. 415 will soon be a part of his family," reports the Journal.

Apparently a frustrated cowboy, Cook has a passion for "team roping, a rodeo competition in which two cowboys on horseback attempt to rope a steer as quickly as possible."

He even has a roping coach, the trainer who raised No. 415 at a Nebraska ranch. Cook likes to hang out there, cowboy hat and all, doing "legitimate cowboy work."

"That's something I really enjoy. I love doing the chores, taking care of these animals," he was quoted as saying.

Being an obsessive, detail-oriented coach of a high level sports program, Cook's avocation not only "has put him in the rare position of being coached" but led him to consider "what sort of advice resonates, and what falls flat."

He said it's led him to think about the trust issues between player and coach.

"It's helped me figure out that yelling at my players isn't going to get it done. You can't yell at a horse; they don't understand you. Working with somebody, how can they feel my energy and feel that trust?" said Cook, who has introduced team members to roping exercises.

But what is it that made No. 415 — no name yet disclosed — the horse of Cook's dreams? Frank Sinatra called it "Witchcraft."

The Journal said "the bond between horse and rider was immediate" when Cook rode the quarter-horse earlier this year. Planning on selling it, the horse's trainer, Mark Wray, decided to save the horse for Cook.

There's an old saying that nothing is so good for the inside of a man as the outside of a horse. Cook apparently agrees, but that's created a whole new problem.

"The problem is coaching — it cuts into my roping time," Cook joked.

What's world coming to?

First, it was the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) that declared diversity/equity/inclusion loyalty oaths out.

Now, Harvard — at least part of it — is following suit. Is the University of Illinois next? Don't hold your breath.

In what was described as a "groundbreaking reversal," Harvard University's largest faculty division announced last week that it will "no longer require applicants for tenure-track positions to submit diversity, equity, and inclusion statements."

The loyalty oaths have become one of the hottest campus fads in recent years as college and university faculty members and administrators seek to compel ideological conformity campuswide. Even serious objections to the legality of the compelled speech have been ignored.

But that has changed in recent months as some of the nation's most elite schools have been consumed by allegations of anti-Semitism and plagiarism scandals.

Harvard's former president — Claudine Gay — was among three prominent university presidents who disgraced themselves and their schools before Congress with ill-conceived comments about pro-Hamas protests on campus. It was later revealed that Gay's scant research writings were marred by plagiarism.

A Harvard spokeswoman attributed the change to "feedback from numerous faculty members who were concerned that the current (DEI) statements were too narrow in the information they attempted to gather."

Harvard plans to replace the DEI oaths with a new kind of written pledge — a "service statement" that "describes efforts to strengthen academic communities, e.g. department, institution, and/or professional societies" — that will probably amount to a DEI equivalent, but without the political baggage.

Bridge to the future

Dedicated "Bridge" fans just can't help themselves when it comes to promoting one of their favorite card games.

Take Wes Seitz, the former university professor who loves the game and believes others would learn to love it, too, if given the chance to learn it.

He's organizing the third in a series of "Learn Bridge in a Day" programs at the Ginger Creek Bridge Club, 2901-B W. Springfield Ave., C. It will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. June 22 at the club in west Champaign.

"Tell your friends," he advises.

Seitz is hoping that local bridge players — whether newbies or greenhorns — will take advantage of this opportunity to learn the game for themselves and let others know about the class through social media.

He said the objective of the one-day program is to "give beginners an understanding of the rules of the game and some experience playing."

What the program does that is equally important is to give new players opportunities to play regularly with experienced mentors from whom they can learn.

Seitz said "the two previous offerings were quite well received," and "a number of the participants are now playing regularly at the club."

Another benefit is that new players can get regular practice with various aspects of the game by playing online through cost-free programs.

The cost is $20 for the day of instruction, a study booklet and lunch. To register, email or text Wes Seitz at 217-649-9294 or

He said registrants will be provided with details as the date nears.

No news is good news

University of Illinois Professor Emeritus Fred Giertz reports May is another "no news" month on the state's economic front.

His "Flash Index" shows the state's economy continues to muddle along — not too hot, and not too cold.

Giertz said the index for May fell slightly to 102.6 from its 103 reading in April, due to weak state revenue growth. Any number 100 or above reveals a relatively healthy economic picture.

"The U.S. and Illinois economies remain in what most observers believe is the long-desired soft landing characterized by slower growth and moderating inflation while avoiding a recession," said Giertz. "Aside from the equity markets, this has provided little solace with high prices and interest rates impacting the housing market. Consumers feel uneasy with the U. S. political situation and international turmoil impacting the economic outlook."

The state unemployment rate remained at 4.8 percent compared to 4.2 percent a year ago. Illinois' unemployment rate is 0.9 percent above the national rate.

The Flash Index is a weighted average of Illinois growth rates in corporate earnings, consumer spending and personal income as estimated from receipts for corporate income, individual income and retail sales taxes.

Giertz's numbers and findings are similar to those issued in the May report of the Illinois Commission of Government Forecasting & Accountability.

Pseudo-review for a pseudo-intellectual

It's time for another offering from Jim's Pseudo-Intellectual Book Club, this one a darker exception from the usual history-related suggestions.

Murder is a grim subject, but how authorities solve them is another story altogether.

"The Forever Witness" by Edward Humes explores the relatively new marriage between traditional investigative techniques and DNA/genealogy advances now being used to solve cases that went cold decades ago.

The tale concerns a horrific 1987 double murder of a Canadian couple — Tanya Van Cuyclenborg, 18, and Jay Cook, 20, — who planned a brief weekend trip to Seattle but never made it back home.

Their bodies were found not long after they were reported missing, but the investigation languished for decades in the absence of any evidence.

As time marched on, so did science.

Humes explains the rapid advances of DNA in which scientists use genetic material as a confirmation tool, not a search tool.

Genealogical DNA investigators use genetic material to search for suspects.

Years after the murders, detective Jim Scharf, a native of Granite City, caught the cold case and started the required examination of old evidence that included DNA recovered from the young woman. Long after he began his frustrating review, Scharf learned of a new approach using genealogy to develop suspects.

When police investigator Scharf finally met genealogical investigator CeCe Moore, it took her just a couple hours after she received the suspect DNA sample to identify the perpetrator. Hermetic truck driver William E. Talbot II was arrested in 2018 — 31 years after the killings — and convicted in the case.

Despite the author's introduction of faux drama surrounding the trial's outcome, it's a fascinating story.

The case, properly presented, was a slam dunk for police and prosecutors, to the point that helpless defense lawyers presented no evidence and could only offer unpersuasive alternative theories about the killings.

The book's strength is in its recital of all that goes into investigating and trying a case this and all that agonizing process takes out of the families of the deceased. Sad, even moving, but hugely informative, it's well worth the time of any intellectual poseur.