Friday Five: Jordy Frahm is staying home

Nebraska softball keeps one of its biggest names close, plus updates on women’s basketball, men’s basketball and summer baseball.

Photo courtesy Nebraska Athletics

Nebraska softball is still the place to start this week.

That has been true a lot lately, which makes sense after the season the Huskers just had. That’s not all, of course. There’s plenty to get to share this week’s Friday Five, so why wait?

Let’s get to it.

Jordy Frahm is staying with Nebraska softball

Jordy Frahm’s playing career at Nebraska is over, but her time with the program is not.

Nebraska announced last Friday—not long after that Friday Five hit inboxes—that Frahm will join Rhonda Revelle’s staff as an assistant coach. It is a natural next step for one of the most accomplished players in college softball and one of the biggest names in Nebraska softball history.

Frahm played for the Huskers from 2024-26 after transferring home from Oklahoma, where she had already won two national championships. At Nebraska, the Papillion native became a Big Ten Player of the Year, two-time Big Ten Pitcher of the Year and Gold Glove Award winner.

“I am beyond excited to join the Nebraska softball coaching staff,” Frahm said in a statement. “Playing softball for the Huskers was an incredible blessing to me and the coaches had a huge impact on me as an athlete and as a person. I am ready to have that impact on others and continue to grow the game in my home state. I’m honored by the trust that Coach Revelle has in me, and I am grateful for the opportunity to work alongside her and the rest of the staff in a new role. I am so thankful that God led me here and granted me this new blessing. Go Big Red!”

This also gives Nebraska some continuity after Lori Sippel’s retirement. Frahm helped push the program back to the Women’s College World Series and now she gets to help shape what comes next.

“We are thrilled to have Jordy join our coaching staff,” Revelle said. “She has had such an impact on Nebraska Softball as a player, and now she can continue giving back to this program and being instrumental in the growth and development of our student-athletes. We will lean into her competitive spirit, her keen eye for talent and her softball IQ as we continue to strive for excellence. Jordy loves Nebraska and the Red Team, and she is a perfect addition to our coaching staff.”

Frahm adds the Honda Award to her résumé

Frahm also added another major honor this week.

She was named the Honda Award winner for softball, becoming the second Nebraska player to win the award and joining Denise Day, who won it in 1985. Frahm will now be a finalist for Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year and the 2026 Honda Cup, which will be presented July 27 on CBS Sports Network.

“I would just like to thank the CWSA voters for selecting me for this award,” Frahm said. “There are so many amazing athletes and women in our sport and to be chosen to represent college softball is a huge honor. I am so grateful for the journey that God has led me on during my college career, and I am truly blessed by everyone that’s been part of it.”

The Honda Award adds to a crowded list of awards for Frahm. Makes sense too, because the numbers are still a little absurd. Frahm went 21-6 with a 1.37 ERA and a nation-leading 12 saves. She struck out 251 batters and walked 33. At the plate, she hit .403 with 79 hits, 60 runs, 51 RBI, 20 home runs and an .860 slugging percentage.

She also became the first player in NCAA history to record 20 wins and 20 home runs in multiple seasons, and the first to finish one season with 20 wins, 20 home runs and 10 saves.

Nebraska women’s basketball gets its Big Ten path

The Big Ten announced women’s basketball home and away opponents for the 2026-27 season, and Nebraska’s schedule has plenty of weight to it.

The Huskers will play Iowa twice. Their other Big Ten home games are Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Ohio State, Oregon, Penn State, Washington and Wisconsin. Seven of those home opponents reached the NCAA Tournament last season, while Wisconsin made the WBIT semifinals.

The road schedule includes Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Northwestern, Purdue, Rutgers, USC and UCLA. That means Nebraska will head to Los Angeles to face the defending national champion Bruins and a USC team expected to have JuJu Watkins back.

Nebraska is coming off its third NCAA Tournament appearance in four seasons and won a tournament game for the second straight year. Britt Prince, Amiah Hargrove and Logan Nissley give Amy Williams a strong returning core, and Natalie Potts is expected back after a redshirt season. Five-star freshman Ashlyn Koupal also joins the mix.

Amy Williams adds Brad Fischer

Nebraska women’s basketball also added a coach with a long record of winning this week. Brad Fischer is joining Williams’ staff as an assistant coach after 14 seasons at Wisconsin-Oshkosh, where he built one of the best Division III programs in the country.

“We are very excited to add Brad Fischer to the Husker women’s basketball family,” Williams said. “Brad’s successful head coaching experience at the collegiate level and reputation as an outstanding recruiter and developer will be the perfect addition to our program. We are so happy to welcome Brad and his wife Lisa to Lincoln.”

Fischer went 315-80 at UW-Oshkosh, making him the winningest coach in program history. He led the Titans to 11 NCAA Division III tournaments, including Final Four appearances in 2025 and 2026. He also had 13 straight 20-win seasons, not counting the shortened COVID year.

Nebraska is not asking Fischer to run the program, but adding that much head coaching experience to the bench is notable. It also comes as the Huskers try to keep building on one of their steadiest stretches under Williams.

Nebraska men’s basketball adds Butler in Chicago

Nebraska men’s basketball continues to build out a serious nonconference schedule.

The Huskers will face Butler on Sunday, Nov. 22, at Credit Union 1 Arena in Chicago. Tipoff time, ticket details and broadcast information will come later this summer.

“We were looking to add another high-profile game as we finalized our non-conference schedule and this matchup with Butler had many of the things we were looking for,” coach Fred Hoiberg said. “It is an opportunity to play a BIG EAST program on a neutral court before we head into our December Big Ten Conference games, and we have a lot of fans and alumni in the Chicago area. I have a lot of respect for Coach Nored, who worked his way up the NBA coaching ranks before returning to lead his alma mater. He was with one of my basketball mentors in Rick Carlisle with the Pacers.”

The game will be the fourth all-time meeting between Nebraska and Butler, and the first since Nebraska’s 80-76 win in the first round of the 2019 NIT.

It also gives Nebraska another neutral-site test. The Huskers already have Providence in Uncasville, Boise State in Sioux Falls and Missouri in Kansas City. They will also travel to Creighton.

Bonus: Summer baseball check-in

Nebraska baseball has several current players out in summer leagues, if that’s something you’d like to keep track of.

Preston Freeman is with the Mankato Moondogs, while Carter Kelley and Reed Strohmeyer are with the Fond du Lac Dock Spiders. Cooper Grace, Auden Pankonin and Jace Ziola are with the Mat-Su Miners. Colin Nowaczyk is with the Corvallis Knights, Joey Senstock is with the La Crosse Loggers, Braxton Stewart is with the Smithfield Tobs and J’Shawn Unger is with the Falmouth Commodores.

Freeman and Kelley are listed as second-half assignments, and more names could be added as the summer goes on.