LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- The University of Louisville officially promoted volleyball associate head coach Dan Meske to lead the program following Dani Busboom Kelly's departure to Nebraska, Louisville athletics director Josh Heird announced Friday.

The U of L Athletic Association board approved the hire a morning after the Cornhuskers introduced their alumna of a head coach at a men's basketball game. Meske becomes the eighth head coach in Louisville history after serving in his former role for the last eight seasons. 

"He knows this program," Heird said. "He's been here every step of the way since Dani really started to build this program. And when I say Dani started to build it, obviously, he was part of building that, too, and has a very good connection with current student-athletes, which always makes you feel good."

"I am incredibly proud and humbled to be the head coach of Louisville Volleyball," Meske said. "My last eight seasons in the 'Ville have been the best of my life, and I'd like to thank Josh Heird and Amy Calabrese for this amazing opportunity to continue to serve our athletes.  Anyone who follows our program knows that there is a joy and love for each other and for the game within Louisville Volleyball, and I plan to keep it that way.  Go Cards!"

Meske's contract will pay him a base salary of $300,000 with $125,000 in possible performance bonuses. According to Huskers Illustrated's Lincoln Arneal, Busboom Kelly's base pay at Nebraska is $700,000 and will increase $25,000 each year with $300,000 in possible performance bonuses. She was making $400,000 per year with the Cardinals. 

Heird said he learned this move was a possibility Jan. 25 while traveling to Tampa, Florida, for NCAA women's basketball meetings. Per Heird, Busboom Kelly informed him of her decision to accept Nebraska's offer three days later. He added he talked with Meske in the past about possibly taking over if the day ever came where she decided to go back to her home state, even encouraging him to go be a head coach elsewhere if he felt it was necessary. 

Dan Meske

"I think he's going to do a terrific, terrific job," Heird said. "The amount of athletic directors and senior women administrators that have reached out to me over the last handful of years when they've had volleyball openings, it's always the same conversation: 'Tell me about Dan. We're very interested in him.' And it was the same conversation of 'Look, I don't think he'll go, but try.'

"And the other piece of it from that angle was just his willingness to stay here. I mean, it wasn't like he didn't get any of these opportunities. He had been offered jobs and he wanted to continue to build it here."

The 16-year collegiate coaching veteran is active on social media with instructional coaching videos and also hosts the "Out of Rotation" podcast. Before joining the Cardinals in 2017, Meske was the head coach at Augustana for two seasons and later spent eight years as an assistant at Nebraska.

Heird mentioned he pretty much knew Meske was the choice to replace Busboom Kelly, but went on a run in Tampa to think on it a little more. He then heard his new head coach's vision for what is now a powerhouse program and leaned back on what he thinks is most important.

"Your best coaches are usually your best teachers," Heird said. "And he has the ability to just simplify the game, slow it down and make sure that the team understands it."

Busboom Kelly built Louisville into a national power, going to two national championship matches and three Final Fours while winning four ACC championships. The community responded with record-breaking attendance at L&N Federal Credit Union Arena and the KFC Yum! Center, even watching the hometown Cardinals fall one win short of the 2024 national title in the Yum! Center back in December. 

"It's bittersweet. That's the best word I can use," Heird said of Busboom Kelly's departure. "You absolutely want Dani to be happy, for everything that she did for this program, this university and this community. But she deserves this. And the one thing people have constantly said to me is, 'Well, we all knew that was her alma mater.' But it's so much more than her alma mater."

Dani Busboom Kelly-22.jpg

The former Cornhusker captain is a Nebraska native who is pregnant with her second child. Married to a former Nebraska football player in Lane Kelly, Busboom Kelly won a national championship as a Cornhusker player and later, as an assistant coach under her mentor in John Cook. Cook retired after 25 seasons and winning four national championships, making room for his star pupil to take over.

"Dani doesn't owe the university or city a thing," Heird said. "I mean, honestly, I'm going to be cheering her on. I've never been a Nebraska fan, but I'm a Nebraska volleyball fan now because I truly want her to win national championships there and just continue to rise in the sport and the industry."

Meske is already out recruiting and working in hopes of continuing the chase for the Cardinals' first national title. Former Louisville stars and current players have met the hire with positive reviews, showing an early sense of belief in Meske's ability to keep things rolling.

"Our student-athletes are, individually, in a very good place, knowing that Dan is taking over this program," Heird said. "I think our recruits are in a very good place. And you compare that to transitions over the last couple of weeks, where programs didn't have somebody of Dan's caliber waiting in the wings, and their rosters were just decimated because of the transfer portal. And so, that was something we were very cognizant of is, can we continue the momentum that Dani has created and just carry it on with Dan? And I have a lot of confidence that we're going to do that."

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