Friday Five: Hall of Fame names, staff moves and international hoops
Nebraska football announces its 2026 Hall of Fame class, Will Bolt earns an extension and three former Huskers suit up in FIBA qualifiers.
Nebraska had a little bit of past, present and future this week.
Football announced its 2026 Hall of Fame class, volleyball added a familiar performance voice for Dani Busboom Kelly, baseball rewarded Will Bolt and his staff after a major season and men’s golf added another in-state newcomer with a familiar last name.
There’s also some early-morning international basketball, for those who like their former Huskers with their coffee.
Let’s get to it.
Nebraska announces 2026 Football Hall of Fame class
Nebraska’s 2026 Football Hall of Fame class includes defensive back Charles Fryar, offensive lineman Jim Scott, fullback Cory Schlesinger, I-back Cory Ross, linebacker Lavonte David and the late punter Sam Foltz.
Joe Planansky, a two-time All-America tight end at Chadron State, will be inducted as the state college honoree.1 Frank Solich will receive the Hall’s Legend Award, while longtime Nebraska radio voice Kent Pavelka will receive the Lyell Bremser Special Merit Award.
The class will be inducted Sept. 4, and recognized the next day at Memorial Stadium when Nebraska opens the 2026 season against Ohio.
There is a lot of Nebraska history in the group. David joins after retiring from a 14-year NFL career with Tampa Bay, where he became a three-time All-Pro and Super Bowl champion. At Nebraska, he had 285 tackles in two seasons, including a school-record 152 in 2010.
Schlesinger will forever be tied to the two touchdowns he scored in Nebraska’s 24-17 Orange Bowl win over Miami, which gave the Huskers their first national title since 1971. He went on to play 12 NFL seasons with the Detroit Lions.
Foltz was the Big Ten Punter of the Year in 2015 and one of the best specialists in Nebraska history before he tragicalled passed away before his senior season.
Fryar, Scott and Ross round out the Husker class across three different eras. Fryar was an All-Big Eight defensive back in the late 1980s, Scott helped anchor the offensive line for back-to-back Big Eight title teams and Ross remains one of Nebraska’s most versatile running backs.
Volleyball adds Sean Smith to performance role
Busboom Kelly added another piece to her first Nebraska staff this week, hiring Sean Smith as director of volleyball player performance and development. Smith will oversee strength and conditioning while also helping lead individual player development plans for the Huskers.
He previously worked with Busboom Kelly at Louisville from 2018 to 2023, overseeing strength and conditioning for volleyball while also working with the Cardinals’ track and field and softball programs.
“I want to thank Troy Dannen for approving this innovative new position in our volleyball program,” Busboom Kelly said in a statement. “Sean is the ideal fit for our program. His extensive strength and conditioning expertise, combined with his passion for maximizing athlete potential, will drive results. We can’t wait to see him wearing scarlet and cream! GBR!”
Smith’s background also includes time with Hintsa Performance and the Arrow McLaren IndyCar team, where he worked with drivers, pit crew and staff on strength and conditioning, performance psychology, nutrition and sports medicine coordination. He also worked in professional hockey with the San Diego Gulls of the American Hockey League.
Nebraska extends Will Bolt through 2032
Athletic director Troy Dannen announced Wednesday that Bolt has signed a contract extension through the 2032 season. Assistants Rob Childress, Lance Harvell and Mike Sirianni also received extensions through 2028.
The move comes after Nebraska went 43-17 in 2026, reached the 40-win mark for the 20th time in program history and hosted a regional for the first time since 2008. The Huskers also made a third straight NCAA regional appearance, their first such streak since 2008.
“Will and his staff have done an outstanding job of continuing to elevate the level of success in our baseball program,” Dannen said. “Making three consecutive NCAA appearances and earning the opportunity to host a regional for the first time in almost two decades reflects the culture, development, and leadership of our entire baseball staff. We are excited to extend Will and his assistant coaches as we continue building momentum and pursuing championships at Nebraska.”
Nebraska’s 43 wins were its most since 2005. The Huskers also set a school record with 23 conference victories.
Bolt now has 213 wins in seven seasons at Nebraska, sixth most in program history. He has also been part of 10 of Nebraska’s 20 NCAA Tournament appearances as either a player or coach.
“I want to thank Athletic Director Troy Dannen and Deputy Athletic Director Dennis Leblanc for their continued trust in our program,” Bolt said. “We’ve built strong momentum here, and I’m thankful for our coaching staff’s commitment, our players’ work ethic, and the unwavering support from Husker Nation.”
Zack Erstad signs with Nebraska men’s golf
Nebraska men’s golf added another in-state player this week with the signing of Lincoln East standout Zack Erstad.
Erstad helped Lincoln East win back-to-back Class A team titles in 2025 and 2026. He was the Class A individual runner-up this spring, the 2025 Nebraska Junior PGA Champion and a Nebraska Super-State selection.
“We are thrilled to have the opportunity for Zack to be a Husker,” Nebraska head coach Judd Cornell said. “He’s proven he belongs on this level and will make a huge impact on our program. I am really excited about him.”
The last name probably sounds a bit familiar. Erstad is the oldest son of Darin Erstad, the former Nebraska baseball standout, No. 1 overall MLB Draft pick, World Series champion and later Nebraska baseball coach.
Zack also had a strong run in U.S. Open qualifying this spring, finishing fourth at a local qualifier in Omaha and advancing to a top-25 finish at a qualifier in Florida.
He joins Gavin Gerch as the second son of a former Husker baseball player to sign with Nebraska men’s golf in recent weeks. Gerch’s father, Andy, was on the College World Series all-tournament team in 2005.
Former Huskers return to international basketball
Three former Nebraska men’s basketball players will be in action this weekend during FIBA World Cup Asian qualifiers.
Tai Webster will play for New Zealand for the first time since the 2019 FIBA World Cup. Jack McVeigh is back with Australia and Keisei Tominaga returns for Japan.
Friday’s schedule is not exactly friendly for Nebraska sleep patterns. New Zealand hosts the Philippines at 2 a.m. CT, Australia faces Guam at 5:30 a.m. and Japan plays at China at 6:30 a.m.2 The teams play again Monday.
Webster was a three-year starter at Nebraska and finished with 1,116 career points. He has played professionally since 2017 and brings plenty of national team experience back to New Zealand.
McVeigh helped Australia win the 2025 Asian Cup and earned a spot on the All-Star Five after averaging 13.5 points per game. He also helped Australia reach the quarterfinals of the Paris Olympics.
Tominaga has been part of Japan’s senior national team since 2022. He averaged 11.4 points during the 2023 FIBA World Cup, helping Japan qualify for the Paris Olympics, then averaged 16.8 points at the 2025 Asian Cup. This past season, he led Japanese players in the B1 League at 19.5 points per game and was named the league’s Most Impressive Player.
That is a lot of Husker basketball happening very early in the morning. No judgment if you choose the box score route.
He is also a native of Hemingford, Nebraska. This is notable, because Brandon Vogel is also a native of Hemingford, Nebraska.
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