The Nebraska Cornhuskers shouldn't have followed Mike Gundy's lead

Following Nebraska Cornhuskers volleyball star Harper Murray’s punishment for DUI, M.I.P. and shoplifting apparently won’t include missing any time during the Huskers’ regular season. So says head coach John Cook.

On Monday night, Cook issued a statement not long after Murray was sentenced to 9 months of probation as the last piece of legal punishment for her drinking and driving citation this spring. She is also in pretrial diversion for an unrelated shoplifting case that occurred in May.

“Harper has been proactive in taking steps to take responsibility for her mistakes,” Cook said in a statement to the Journal Star. “This summer she has demonstrated through her commitment to community service and through her involvement in helping lead our youth camps that she is ready and willing to learn from this. Harper and her teammates are looking forward to our first practice on Aug. 5 and to playing in the AVCA First Serve Showcase."

Nebraska Cornhuskers follow Mike Gundy’s lead to the detriment of everyone involved

Cook did suspend Murray for the Huskers’ spring scrimmage, but at the time, it seemed as though either Cook or the university were weighing more punishment. It appears they decided not to mete anything else out.

I’m well aware that this opinion is not going to be popular among the denizens of Husker Nation, but Cook is going too light on a player that repeatedly broke the law in a short period of time.

I believe that Harper needs to be suspended for at least one match. If not two or three. 

I don’t believe this punishment should be doled out to teach her a lesson. At least not one as elementary as “drinking and driving is wrong.” The lesson here is simply that a member of the Nebraska Cornhuskers athletic program cannot do the things she did and expect to play a full season.

It’s worth pointing out that when one of Matt Rhule’s coaches got caught driving under the influence, he didn’t get suspended, he was immediately fired. However, instead of following in the footsteps of Rhule, Cook decided to follow Mike Gundy’s lead.

The Oklahoma State head coach announced that star running back Ollie Gordon wouldn’t be suspended for any part of the Cowboys’ season, despite being arrested for DUI. As part of the announcement, Gundy claimed Gordon having to play was worse punishment.

He then made some truly pathetic “who among us hasn’t gotten behind the wheel of a car drunk,” excuse. At least Cook stayed away from that silliness.

I won’t excoriate Cook for his decision, though I disagree with it. I also don’t want this to come off as trying to pile on Murray. I simply don’t agree with it. And the fact that it comes just a few weeks after Gundy made his reprehensible comments makes the decision that much worse.

I have no insight into what’s gone on behind the scenes. I’m sure there’s been “internal” punishment doled out. But there should be more public punishment as well. Again, not as a way to pile on Murray. Simply to make it clear to her and everyone who comes after her that the Nebraska Cornhuskers program doesn’t take this lightly.

Instead, it feels from the outside looking in, like the opposite.