Shatel: John Cook gives update on his busy retirement life and future Nebraska plans

First downs and second guesses: Contrary to a report he read, John Cook is not retiring in Wisconsin.

I saw that, Cook said.

Somebody screwed that up.

Ill be in Wyoming, not Wisconsin.

Cook was at his home in Alta, Wyoming, last week when we spoke.

Thats Alta, population 429, on the western border of Wyoming and Idaho the other side of the Tetons from Jackson Hole.

Its the other side of the Teton mountains, the west side, Cook said.

Its a library and a school.

Old little town.

Our biggest city we go to is seven miles away, in Driggs, Idaho.

They have a grocery store, dentist, hardware store, things like that.

Cook says hes keeping a condo in downtown Lincoln and plans to go back and forth to Nebraska to visit friends and work on projects.

NU Athletic Director Troy Dannen said he wants to have Cook serve in a role in the athletic department, but Cook said the two have not discussed specifics yet.

Troy says he has some projects he wants me to work on, but we havent talked and he hasnt sent me a contract, Cook said.

Im still going to be involved.

I still want to come back for football games.

Thats one of the things I want to spend more time doing watching football.

I used to get to go to one game a year and usually I had had to leave by halftime.

I love being down there.

If they want me there, I want to go to the Ord (spring volleyball) match.

It was kind of my baby.

And the AVCA Showcase (next fall).

They want me back for that.

Ill come back for some Big Ten games.

Here and there.

Hopefully, it will time up for when Troy wants me to do stuff.

If they ask for help, Im there.

Cook got a rude awakening to the concept of retirement of a coaching legend.

There may not be a lot of time for watching sunsets on his porch in Wyoming.

In the last week, Ive had 30 speaking requests, Cook said.

Event requests.

Come to this, come to that.

People that you are retired now, you have nothing to do.

And I already have a bunch of commitments that Im going to fulfill.

In the meantime, if you want to see the former coach, you can always go to the John Cook Team Roping Classic, set for April 13 at the Sandhills Global Events Center in Lincoln.

Thats going to be a really big deal, Cook said.

Kind of like the (volleyball) stadium match.

Jerry Palms (CBS) updated bracketology on Monday showed Nebraska as a No.

9 seed against No.

8 Baylor in Raleigh.

Thats the highest Ive seen NU in any of the mock brackets this season.

Theres a chance that Omaha could be in Raleigh as the No.

16 seed going up against No.

1 Duke.

Wouldnt that be cozy? After getting beat by SDSU and St.

Thomas last week, Chris Crutchfields Mavs are in second place in the Summit, one-half game behind St.

Thomas.

With three regular-season games left, two at home, Omaha is in good shape to make history.

The Mavs need to finish first or second in the league.

And, as the No.

1 or No.

2 seed in the league tourney, get to the final preferably against the Tommies.

Because St.

Thomas is ineligible for the NCAA tourney, the first-place team would go to the Big Dance if St.

Thomas wins the league tourney.

Or, if the Tommies are the regular-season champs, the second-place team would take their place.

Got all that? Creighton may be two games back of St.

Johns for first in the Big East, but the Jays are still very much in position to grab a share of their second Big East title.

The Johnnies still must play UConn (at MSG) on Sunday and finish the season at Marquette.

Who knows what the Huskies will do or will be in the mood for? But you figure they'll be up for a game in the Garden.

Meanwhile, the Jays finish with Georgetown, DePaul and Butler at home, with trips to Seton Hall and Xavier.

The game at X wont be easy.

But you can see a path there.

Its not a reach.

I thought the Jays were trending toward a No.

6 or 7 seed, but the losses to UConn and St.

Johns might mean CU will be a No.

8 or 9 seed.

The priority this week is to get Ryan Kalkbrenner healthy.

Kalkbrenner and St.

Johns R.J.

Luis, Jr., are the likely leaders for Big East Player of the Year and that will play out the final three weeks.

But again, the big mans health is paramount to the bigger picture: another deep NCAA run.

Looked like Karma showed its championship rings to Dan Hurley at Seton Hall last Saturday.

Brice Williams (second in the Big Ten in scoring) is playing like a first-team All-Big Ten player.

Thats six straight 20-point games to turn his team around and put it in solid position for an NCAA berth.

Thats also the longest streak at NU since Tyronn Lue in 1997-98.

That's what is called good company.

Now, no more horrible starts, Huskers.

Im not sure your coach can take it.

Expand the NCAA tournament to 76? No thanks.

The tourney is one of the last things in college sports that is near-perfect.

Are there 10 more teams who deserve to get in? I cant see it.

Marcus Sedberry, a former track sprinter at Nebraska, is the new general manager for Wisconsin football.

Sedberry, Wisconsins deputy athletic director and chief operating officer, replaces Max Stienecker, who left for a position at USC.

Sidner Ice Arena in Fremont has been renovated and there will be a celebration and ribbon-cutting on March 7 at the arena.

Well done, Fremont community.

Thanks to all who responded to my column on Greg Sharpe.

Its comforting to know the man legend impacted so many people in Nebraska and Husker fans everywhere.

Like I said, Greg was family.

This one hit me hard.

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