John Cook Tabs Final Husker Assistant

Nebraska volleyball coach John Cook announced Wednesday that he has named Craig Skinner, an assistant with the Ball State men's volleyball team for the past two years, as his second assistant coach. Skinner fills the final coaching position on the Nebraska women's volleyball team.

Skinner's primary duties will be to oversee the team's training. He will also share the recruiting duties and direct Nebraska's prestigious summer camps.

"We're excited to have Craig on board," Cook said. "Craig has several strengths that made him a natural for this position. First he worked with me for three seasons at Wisconsin, so there is a familiarity that we have, which is critical. Second, he has five years of college experience. So we are getting somebody that's very experienced in this position and that experience has come at a high level of competition. Third, Craig's personality and his skills in the gym are a great complement to our staff."

Skinner, 29, is a native of Muncie, Ind. He coached at Wisconsin with Cook from 1994 to 1996, aiding Cook and the Badgers to a 68-35 record and three postseason appearances, including the 1996 NCAA regional semifinals.

This past season, Skinner, a graduate of Ball State, helped lead his alma mater to wins over three nationally-ranked teams and an 8-4 record at midseason. The BSU men's team is currently ranked 13th in the USA Today/AVCA Top 25.

"I'm really excited to be joining the Nebraska coaching staff," Skinner said. "It's a first class program. John has a vision to continue Nebraska's success and continue to challenge for the national championship and I'm looking forward to help him carry on that tradition."

His first coaching stint came in 1990 when he joined the staff of Asics Munciana Volleyball Club. The highlight of his four-year stint came in 1992 when he helped guide the 18-and-under squad to a United States Volleyball Association National runner-up finish. Skinner's coaching resume also includes working with the USA Junior Men's National Team that went 7-0 in a tournament in Argentina before losing to a professional club.

A 1993 graduate of Ball State, Skinner was an outside attacker from 1990 to 1993 for the Cardinals. He helped BSU to a 28-11 record and a third-place finish at the 1990 NCAA Championships. The squad tied for first in the Midwest Intercollegiate Volleyball Association before winning the league tournament to advance to the national tournament. He was a team captain his final two seasons, including his senior season when Skinner totaled 209 kills and 138 digs. The two-time recipient of a Mid-American Conference Commissioner's Award for Academic Excellence ended his career with 414 digs, which ranked 13th in BSU history at the time. He also ranked 13th with 54 career service aces, while his average of 2.14 kills per game is 16th on the school's all-time list.