The newly appointed Nebraska Cornhusker Women’s volleyball head coach, Dani Busboom Kelly, and her husband, Lane Kelly, have been married for over a decade. Despite their long-term relationship, the couple has remained out of the spotlight.
Dani Busboom Kelly, 40, a graduate of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, began her athletic career at Adams Freeman High School.
A multi-star athlete during high school, Dani solely focused on volleyball after enrolling at Nebraska in 2003.
As a volleyball player, Dani played as a setter and libero. In 2006, she was considered Big 12’s best libero.
She finished her career at Nebraska as one of the only two players to rank among NU’s all-time leaders in both digs (1,281) and assists (2,873).
From Dani Busboom Kelly’s Instagram pic.twitter.com/WzLTNUnTaq
— Kevin Sjuts (@kevinsjuts) February 5, 2025
Dani guided NU to a 124-10 record, three Big 12 titles, two NCAA Final appearances, and a national title in 2006.
She began her coaching career in 2009 with Tennessee as an assistant and remained with the side for a year before joining Louisville.
Dani returned to Nebraska as an assistant coach and remained in that position for five years.
In 2017, she accepted the head coach’s role with the Lousiville’s volleyball team.
She managed the side until February 2025, when she marked her homecoming with Nebraska.
Dani replaces John Cook, who retired last week, and is the fourth head coach in program history.
Dani Busboom Kelly’s Husband, Lane Kelly, Is A Senior Accountant
Like his wife, Lane Kelly was an athlete at Nebraska. The couple met during their time as students at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
While Dani juggled between the volleyball team and her Communication degree, Lane managed time between his football practices and Criminal Justice degree.
It was their athletic lives that brought them close. During the fall of 2003, football and volleyball players reported early for fall camp and stayed in the same dorms.
Their first meeting was in a group setting. At the time, they were in another relationship but quickly decided they wanted to be together.
In an interview with Omaha, Lane said they began dating during the second semester, and since then, nothing has separated them.
Before he enrolled at Nebraska, Lane almost committed to Marquette as a basketball player but chose to walk on at Nebraska.
Lane’s dream of pursuing a footballing career ended after he tore his calf twice during his senior year.
Despite his degree being in a different field, Lane has been working in the accounting sector for a long time.
Currently, the husband of the volleyball coach works as an Account Manager for Almo Professional A/V.
He has previously worked at M&T Bank, per his Facebook handle, and has shared only a few pictures on his social media handle.
On December 5, 2009, Lane shared a photo of him and Dani at their home, with Dani showing off her engagement ring.
The accountant captioned the post, “The Big News.”
Only a few months after their engagement, Dani and Lane tied the knot.
Dani And Lane Kelly Are Expecting Their Second Child
On February 6, 2025, Lane Kelly was in the audience as his wife was introduced as Nebraska’s volleyball head coach.
But he wasn’t alone. Lane was joined by their two-year-old son, Boone Kelly.
He guided Boone up front for photos and later did a few television interviews.
During his interview, Lane said,
I did not expect this whatsoever. It’s truly incredible how much this state loves volleyball. It’s really awesome.
via: Omaha
An article from The Athletic covering Dani’s appointment in the head coach role revealed that the couple was expecting their second child.
Lane’s parents, Doug and Kristi Kelly, attended the ceremony as well as his sister, Lindsay Harm, and their family.
Previously, Dani had shared a photo of her holding her son, Boone, on her Facebook handle.
She shared the photo of her with her child, thanking everyone for their birthday wishes. Other than that, the couple hasn’t shared any pictures of their two-year-old son.
In Case You Didn’t Know
- Dani Busboom Kelly has no siblings and is the only child of her parents, Gene and Bonnie Busboom. Previously, her father, Gene Busboom, revealed that he had no idea his daughter would one day become a coach as she had already started working in the corporate field.
- During her time at Louisville, Dani won AVCA Coach of the Year and AVCA East Region Coach of the Year three times in a row from 2020 to 2022.
