Donald "Don" Templemeyer

Carroll, Iowa — Coach Donald "Don" Templemeyer, 98, of Carroll, Iowa, formerly of O'Neill, died Tuesday, May 20, 2025 at St. Anthony Regional Hospital in Carroll.

Memorials may be made to the family for future designation.

For those too young to remember, Coach Templemeyer was an instructor and head coach at St. Mary's Academy and in 1958 his football team had a record of 10-0.  Subsequently he led the team on to the Nebraska 8-man Football Championship against Lawrence, with a final score of 55-0.  

The legendary Coach Templemeyer authored two coaching books along with articles in National Coaching magazines along with numerous coaching clinics in multiple states.  

Larry Tomplinson, the St. Mary's three-sport standout, credits Coach Templemeyer with his own success as a three-year letter standout as a University of Nebraska Husker football player.  Larry then went on to play for a few years in the Canadian League for the Montreal Alouettes. Later, Larry would be inducted into the Nebraska 8-Man Football Hall of Fame all of which Larry stresses was the result of Coach Templemeyer and his football mentoring.  

Tomlinson is often compared to the legendary Frank Leahy of O'Neill who went on to coach at Notre Dame and Boston College for 13 years. Coach Leahy is often compared to famed Coach Knute Rockne. 

Coach Templemeyer loved football, but the true love of his life was his wife Patricia, of whom he married while in college and together they accumulated 73 years of marriage.  

Don is survived by his four children Rose Vogan of Minneapolis, MN, Paula Templemeyer of Fort Dodge, Terri (Deacon Dave) Prenger of Carroll, Iowa and Michael (Chong Ah) Templemeyer of Omaha; nine grandchildren; 20 great-grandchildren; one great-great-grandchild;  plus numerous nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his most treasured wife Pat, his parents, his sister Rose and two brothers Earl and Bill.