Skip to main content
SI

Milt Tenopir, longtime Nebraska offensive line coach, dies

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) Milt Tenopir, who coached some of college football's most dominant offensive lines with Nebraska in the 1980s and `90s, has died after a

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) Milt Tenopir, who coached some of college football's most dominant offensive lines with Nebraska in the 1980s and `90s, has died after a long battle with cancer. He was 76.

Tenopir's daughter, Kim Lester, confirmed Tenopir's death Monday night.

Tenopir, who retired in 2003, was considered a guru of line play during his 29 years with the Cornhuskers. Twenty-seven of his players went on to sign professional contracts, with 14 selected in the top three rounds of the NFL draft.

College Football Bracket Challenge

GET READY TO COMPETE

Pick your champion (you can change it later). We’ll email you when brackets open.

No purchase necessary. 50 U.S./D.C. 18+. Entry opens 3PM ET Dec 6, 2026 and closes 8PM ET Dec 18, 2026. Void where prohibited.See for complete details. The College Football Playoff (CFP) is not a sponsor or administrator of this contest.

Tenopir coached the ''Pipeline'' lines that paved the way to three national championships in four seasons in the mid-1990s.

Nebraska had six Outland Trophy winners as the best interior lineman in college football under Tenopir.

Tenopir was a fixture at practices since Mike Riley became head coach in 2015, and he had a close relationship with line coach Mike Cavanaugh.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Published | Modified