Gophers volleyball takes a step under Keegan Cook — with an assist from Hugh McCutcheon

Keegan Cook could sense in his first season as Gophers volleyball coach that the connection wasn’t there yet with team members who had played for former coach Hugh McCutcheon.

Cook, who arrived from Washington in 2023, became one of the top coaches in the country by developing a strong connection with players. Chemistry isn’t built overnight.

“If you want to coach kids, you have to have relationships,” Cook said. “If you don’t know where they come from or what they’ve been through, it’s really hard.”

But the bond the sixth-seeded Gophers (20-10) have now is apparent entering Thursday’s opening round NCAA tournament match vs. Western Kentucky in Lexington, Ky.

Cook learned more about the players, leading to more success in his second season. One way to speed up the relationship building process was to talk to McCutcheon, who left as Gophers coach after the 2022 season and took a strategic advisor role with the athletic department.

“I think people undervalue how much there is to learn at a new institution,” Cook said. “He’s been able to help me just accelerate my learning and what works the best with the athletes. If I didn’t have that, it would be that much more challenging.”

Cook’s championship and postseason pedigree helped him land the Gophers job. At Washington, he won four Pac-12 titles and reached the Final Four in 2020. McCutcheon, a Hall of Fame coach at the college, national and international levels, left big shoes to fill, though, with three Final Fours, including in 2019.

“I’m happy to be a sounding board,” McCutcheon said. “I didn’t want to coach the team. That’s why I chose to step away. There’s no question that it’s his deal. That being said, I had some institutional knowledge and some things I thought maybe could help. If he ever wanted to talk about that stuff, it was easy to do.”

The new coach leading Gophers volleyball didn’t see his predecessor’s presence around the program as a negative.

“I probably see him once a month,” said Cook, who noticed McCutcheon attending some Gophers volleyball matches this season. “His door is open.”

McCutcheon opened his office not only to Cook but several Gophers coaches, including football coach P.J. Fleck. Two years ago, McCutcheon published a book called “Championship Behaviors: A Model for Competitive Excellence in Sports,” and he recently was named secretary general of the International Volleyball Federation.

He no longer works day to day in the Gophers advisory role because his increasing responsibility on the international front, but McCutcheon can’t just turn off the coach in him. He wants to help the Gophers volleyball program as much as he can, but he respects giving Cook space to mold his own culture.

“It’s been a good working relationship,” McCutcheon said. “I’m happy to be a resource for him. I want the program to do well and continue to be successful.”

After a tough 17-13 season last year, McCutcheon watched the Gophers get back to the 20-win mark in the regular season, with some of his former players thriving under Cook. Junior outside hitter Julia Hanson and senior setter Melani Shaffmaster were both named to the All-Big Ten first team Wednesday, along with senior opposite Lydia Grote, a former California transfer.

“With Mel, her recruitment started early, and I’ve known her family for a long time,” McCutcheon said. “She will stop by from time to time and we’ll have a chat. I think that’s how it should be. I’m here for the long haul with those kids.”

Hanson, who played sparingly for McCutcheon as a true freshman in 2022, had a breakout season to earn unanimous All-Big Ten first team honors this year. She led the team with 445 kills, which included at least 20 kills in five of the past six matches.

“Her willingness to be coached, her willingness to trust” stood out in the transition from one staff to another, Cook said. “Young people are trying to figure out what they need in coaching.”

Hanson and Shaffmaster could have transferred like other former Gophers such as Taylor Landfair (to Nebraska), Carter Booth (Wisconsin) and Jenna Wenaas (Texas). But Cook gained their trust to help create the tight-knit group that now exists. Shaffmaster, who went to the Elite Eight and Sweet 16 with the previous regime, said she finally felt comfortable but it took several months.

“I knew Hugh even before I came to Minnesota,” said Shaffmaster, who committed as an eighth-grader. “It’s impossible to be the same. It’s different, not in a bad way but a good way. It’s just something I never thought I’d experience.”

Cook isn’t McCutcheon, and that’s OK. He knows how to win and cares about his players just the same.

“He wants to understand us as people,” Shaffmaster said. “He always talks to us like he’s teaching and not ordering. We’re here to learn and we’re not here to be robots at the end of the day. He’s kind of taken over in that aspect — helping us understand things that can help us and carry over outside volleyball as well.”