Tervel Dlagnev

Former NCAA National Champion and Olympic medal winner Tervel Dlagnev enters his third season as Nebraska’s assistant coach in 2025-26, after serving as the team’s volunteer assistant in 2021-22 and 2022-23.

“We are extremely excited to announce the addition of Tervel,” Coach Manning said. “He brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to Nebraska, will provide another piece to our coaching staff and will add value to our student-athletes’ experience on and off the mat.”

In his first season as an assistant coach, Dlagnev helped heavyweight wrestler Nash Hutmacher qualify for the NCAA Tournament. In his second season, the coaching staff led the Huskers to a historical postseason. Garnering two NCAA individual champions (Ridge Lovett - 149 and Antrell Taylor - 157), two Big Ten champions (Brock Hardy - 141 and Ridge Lovett - 149), and team runner-up finishes at both tournaments while scoring program records for team points. Dlagnev helped coach the Big Red to earn eight All-America honors, claiming four new All-Americans for the NU wrestling room.

One of the nation’s best heavyweight freestyle wrestlers in history, Dlagnev won the Olympic bronze medal at the 2012 London Olympic Games and placed fifth in the 2016 Rio Olympic Games. He also won World bronze medals for the United States in 2009 and 2014 and was a 2011 Pan American Games and 2008 University World Champion. In college, Dlagnev was a two-time NCAA Champion and four-time All-American at the University of Nebraska-Kearney.

A native of Arlington, Texas, Dlagnev came to Nebraska after serving as an assistant coach at Ohio State University, where he was hired before the 2016-17 season. Dlagnev has also worked with athletes at the Ohio Regional Training Center.