It has been 16 years since Dave Van Horn left as Nebraska’s coach and went to Arkansas. But he said Sunday that he’s felt a warm reception every time he’s returned to Omaha for College World Series appearances in 2004, 2009, 2012 and 2015.
“Seems like it’s gotten better through time,” Van Horn said. “When we came here in ’04, I didn’t know what to expect. I didn’t know if they were still mad at me for leaving or what because it was just a couple years out. But ever since (2009) it got better.”
Van Horn spent another few moments reflecting on the satisfaction of taking a struggling Big 12 school and turning it into a CWS qualifier in the early 2000s.
“And it was really hard to leave, to be honest with you, just because of all the success,” Van Horn said. “And there was only one place I would go, and that was Arkansas. So I’m thankful that (Nebraska fans) have been so kind.”
