John Cook, Dean Steinkuhler Headline 2026 Nebraska Athletics Hall of Fame Class

Nebraska Athletics is making room for seven new faces in the hallowed halls of the Huskers Hall of Fame.

Nebraska announced on Thursday the addition of six former Husker student-athletes and a retired head coach who make up the 2026 University of Nebraska Athletics Hall of Fame Class. The class includes players from former Nebraska baseball, softball, bowling, football, volleyball, and track and field rosters.

The 2026 class includes Matt Hopper (baseball, 2000-03), Cassandra Leuthold (bowling 2007-10), Dean Steinkuhler (football, 1979-83), Taylor Edwards (softball, 2011-14), Amber Holmquist (volleyball, 1999-2002), Ineta Radevica (women's track and field, 2003-04), and retired volleyball coach John Cook (2000-24). The six student-athletes in the class combined for 21 All-American honors, three individual NCAA titles and seven team national championships.

John Cook (Volleyball Head Coach, 2000-24)

Prior to becoming the Huskers' head coach for 25 seasons, Cook began his Nebraska tenure as an assistant coach from 1988 to 1990 before returning to Lincoln as the associate head coach in 1999. From 2000 to 2024, Cook led Nebraska to four national championships, 14 conference titles across the Big 12 and Big Ten, 12 NCAA Semifinal appearances, and eight trips to the NCAA Final.

The legendary coach would finish his Nebraska tenure in 2024 with a 722-103 overall record with the Huskers, winning nearly 88 percent of his total matches as the Nebraska head coach. While winning was critical under Cook's leadership, growing volleyball beyond the state's borders became a vital part of the final years of the coach's tenure. Cook would guide Nebraska through the start of its NCAA record sellout streak that began in 2001 and continues past his retirement. Cook also aided in setting the stage for 'Volleyball Day in Nebraska', the pinnacle of collegiate volleyball events, as 92,003 fans packed Memorial Stadium to witness the Huskers down Omaha while setting the largest crowd to ever attend a women's sporting event.

Cook produced five Olympians during his time with Nebraska while also coaching three AVCA Division I National Player of the Year honorees, 72 All-Americans, and 10 conference players of the year. The coach also guided three Academic All-Americans of the Year and 25 Academic All-Americans. Cook was rewarded during his legendary career with three AVCA National Coach of the Year honors and was named conference coach of the year seven times during his 25-year run. Nebraska would claim national titles in 2000, 2006, 2015, and 2017 under Cook's leadership.

In January of 2025, Cook retired and seamlessly passed on the coaching duties of Nebraska volleyball to former Husker Dani Busboom Kelly. Busboom Kelly played under Cook from 2003-06 and was a member of the 2006 national championship team. She later coached under Cook from 2012-17 as an assistant before taking the head coaching role at Louisville.

Dean Steinkuhler (Football, 1979-83)

Dean Steinkuhler is one of the most decorated offensive linemen in the storied history of Nebraska football. Steinkuhler would collect the Outland Trophy and Lombardi Trophy in his senior season in 1983, as the annual awards are given to the nation's top lineman and most outstanding interior player, respectively, becoming the sixth player in NCAA history to acquire both awards in the same season. The offensive lineman was a first-team All-American, a selection on the All-Century team, and became a first-round NFL Draft pick following his 1983 campaign.

As a two-year starter in 1982 and 1983, Steinkuhler's Huskers would finish 24-2 with two Big Eight titles and a final ranking of No. 3 and No. 2 in those respective seasons. His No. 71 jersey was retired in 1983, becoming just the sixth Husker to have his jersey retired after being selected No. 2 overall by the Houston Oilers in the 1984 NFL Draft. His selection would tie for the highest-drafted offensive or defensive lineman in school history. After playing eight seasons in the NFL, Steinkuhler would retire from football in 1991.

In 1999, the Walter Camp Football Foundation would name Steinkuhler to the All-Century team, as the guard would become one of six at his position, as well as one of 15 total offensive linemen, to join the All-Century team. Steinkuhler would later have two sons, Ty and Baker, as both would become Huskers. Ty would play from 2005-08 while Baker played from 2009-2012.

Amber Holmquist (Volleyball, 1999-2002)

One of the more decorated players during the transition from coaches Terry Pettit to John Cook is now being immortalized in the Nebraska Athletics Hall of Fame. Amber Holmquist finished her outstanding Husker tenure as a national champion, All-American, Academic All-American, and conference player of the year after totaling 1,122 kills on a .396 career hitting percentage. Holmquist would add 728 career blocks, finishing her Nebraska career as the Huskers' all-time blocks leader.

Holmquist would wrap up as a Husker with nearly 20 school records and eight Big 12 Conference records. In 2000, the sophomore led the nation in blocks while ranking fourth nationally in hitting percentage en route to a second-team All-American honor. Her play paved the way for Nebraska's national championship season, as the Huskers finished 34-0 in coach John Cook's inaugural season leading the program.

Holmquist would earn first-team All-American honors in 2001 and 2002 while ranking second and third in blocks in those years, respectively. She would share the 2002 Big 12 Player of the Year honor with two of her teammates while adding a second-team Academic All-American honor as a senior. Holmquist pushed the Huskers to a Big 12 Conference title in every season of her career while dominating with a 123-10 overall record and a 77-3 conference record.

Matt Hopper (Baseball, 2000-03)

One of Nebraska baseball's key cogs in its dynamic run in the early-2000s will join the Husker Athletics Hall of Fame. Three-time All-American Matt Hopper set historic offensive numbers for the Huskers from 2000 to 2003 after starting in 247 games while posting a .350 batting average. Hopper ended his career with 338 hits, 55 doubles, 64 home runs, 271 RBIs, and 246 runs scored while becoming Nebraska and the Big 12's record holder for career hits, home runs, RBIs, and runs scored.

As a freshman, Hopper would become a third-team All-American and would earn the Big 12 Freshman of the Year honor. He would follow with a first-team All-American honor as a sophomore, pushing the Huskers to the program's first College World Series appearance in 2001. Nebraska repeated the visit to Omaha in 2002, as Hopper would finish his collegiate career in 2003 as the Big 12 Player of the Year, becoming a second-team All-American.

Hopper aided Nebraska to win 195 games over his four seasons, claiming two Big 12 regular-season championships along with two Big 12 Tournament titles and two College World Series appearances.

Taylor Edwards (Softball, 2011-14)

Taylor Edwards became a dynamic offensive weapon for Nebraska softball in the early 2010s, guiding the Huskers in four standout seasons. Edwards would reset the record book as a two-time All-American, starting 231 games while hitting .327 in her career. Edwards added 220 hits, 41 doubles, 54 home runs, and 202 RBIs while ending her Husker tenure with 17 all-time program records and a share of two NCAA records.

Edwards' career began on the right note with a third-team All-American nod as a freshman in 2011, as she would become the first catcher in program history to earn an All-American honor while also being named a Player of the Year award finalist. In 2013, Edwards pushed Nebraska to the Women's College World Series and was named a member of the All-Tournament team. The following season, Edwards would be named a first-team All-American and the NFCA Division I Catcher of the Year while pushing Nebraska to its first Big Ten regular-season title.

After ending her collegiate career, Edwards would play professionally while also competing for the United States National team, being named an alternate for the 2020 Olympics. Her No. 12 jersey was retired in 2024.

Cassandra Leuthold (Bowling, 2006-10)

Nebraska bowling's Cassandra Leuthold became one of the program's most distinguished competitors in the late 2000s. During her four-year career at Nebraska, Leuthold would earn All-American status in each season as a Husker. She was named the National Collegiate Rookie of the Year and a second-team All-American in 2007, then would earn first-team All-American status in 2008 and 2009.

Leuthold became the NCAA Championship Most Outstanding Player in 2009 as the Huskers captured the national championship. She would end her Husker career as the 2010 National Collegiate Bowler of the Year while earning her third consecutive first-team All-American nod. She would earn 11 individual titles over her four seasons, finishing with one NCAA championship, one runner-up finish, and a third-place finish.

Ineta Radevica (Women's Track and Field, 2003-04)

The shortest tenured Husker in the Nebraska Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2026, Ineta Radevica was potentially the most prolific of her classmates. The two-year Husker star won three individual national championships, eight conference titles, and claimed eight All-American honors in the triple and long jump from 2003 to 2004.

Radevica was the Big 12 indoor and outdoor champion in both events during her two seasons in Lincoln, claiming the NCAA indoor All-American title in triple and long jump during her first season at Nebraska. She would finish third in the triple jump and win the fourth in the long jump at the outdoor championships that season. The next season, Radevica won both the indoor and outdoor triple jump titles while ending third in the long jump and fourth in the triple at the outdoor championships.

Radevica ended her career as Nebraska’s third-leading point scorer all-time at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. Following her time at Nebraska, she went on to be a three-time Olympian who just missed the podium at the 2012 Olympics, finishing fourth in the long jump.

“When you look at the list of accomplishments for the members of this year’s Hall of Fame class, it is a reminder of how extraordinary it is to be selected for the Nebraska Athletics Hall of Fame,” Nebraska Athletic Director Troy Dannen said in the Huskers' release. “The individual accolades and team success the class achieved not only added to the rich history of Husker athletics, but these distinguished individuals serve as an inspiration for our current student-athletes and coaches. We look forward to welcoming each of them back to Lincoln and celebrating their legendary careers.”

The 2026 Nebraska Athletics Hall of Fame class will be inducted in a ceremony on Friday, Oct. 2, before being recognized during the Nebraska-Maryland football game on Saturday, Oct. 3. The class will be permanently enshrined on a granite plaque with the names of the seven members added to the University of Nebraska Athletics Hall of Fame Plaza.

Click here to read article