The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Football
- Title:
- Co-Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers
Texas Head Coach Steve Sarkisian tabbed Johnny Nansen, one of the nation’s top defensive coaches, as the Longhorns’ co-Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers Coach on January 6, 2024. A veteran of 25 years in coaching, Nansen spent the past year as Defensive Coordinator at Arizona where his unit helped lead a Wildcats resurgence in a 10-3 Valero Alamo Bowl Championship campaign. He has coached on both sides of the ball, as well as special teams throughout his career, spent seven years previously on Sarkisian’s staffs, and been focused on defense the past eight years. Nansen replaces Jeff Choate, who is now the head coach at Nevada and coached for the Longhorns through the College Football Playoff game at the Allstate Sugar Bowl.
Nansen, who has worked in a variety of roles during his career, spent the past eight years on the defensive side of the ball including the last two seasons as defensive coordinator at Arizona. His defense played a vital role in the Wildcats resurgence in 2023, going from 5-7 in 2022 to a 10-3 record, victory over No. 12 Oklahoma in the Alamo Bowl, and a No. 14 national ranking at the end of the regular season. Nansen’s defense forced six Sooner turnovers (three fumbles, three interceptions) which the Wildcats converted into 27 points — including a fumble return for a touchdown — in a 38-24 win.
The standout performance in the Alamo Bowl secured 10-plus wins for the Wildcats for just the fourth time in school history, while their seven victories in Pac-12 play matched Arizona’s most ever. Nansen’s defense played a critical role in the team’s success, ranking among the nation’s top 30 in fumble recoveries (10/16th), red zone defense (76%/17th), rushing defense (118.2 ypg/25th), scoring defense (21.2 ppg/29th), and sacks (34/2.6 pg/25th). The Wildcats held opponents to 357.9 yards per game on the year. During the season, Nansen’s defense held three teams that ranked in the top 25 at the time they played to fewer than 18 points in wins (No. 20 UCLA, 27-10; No. 19 Washington State, 48-6; No. 16 Utah, 42-18). His 2023 Arizona defense was led by first-team All-Pac-12 linebacker Jacob Manu, who led the Wildcats with 116 tackles while recording 6.5 sacks and 9.5 tackles for loss this season. Safety Gunner Maldonado earned Alamo Bowl Defensive MVP honors after posting an interception and two fumble recoveries, one of which he returned 87 yards for a touchdown, in the win over Oklahoma.
Nansen took over as defensive coordinator for Arizona Football in 2022 when the Wildcats were coming off four-straight losing seasons, including a 1-11 mark in 2021 and 0-5 in 2020. Once aboard, Nansen began the transformation by playing a key role in building Arizona's 2022 signing class that ranked second in the Pac-12, 22nd nationally, and included the first five-star signee in program history. The Wildcats were 5-7 the first year, but Nansen’s aggressive defense showed signs of turning things around, forcing 16 turnovers — 10 more than 2021 — and improving their win total by four games. That paved the way for an increase of five wins to their first 10-win campaign in a decade this year. His defense increased their turnover total to 19 this season, converting those into 63 points.
Prior to Arizona, Nansen spent the previous two seasons coaching the defensive line for UCLA. During the 2021 season, he played a significant role in UCLA’s success defending the run as the Bruins allowed the second-fewest rushing yards per game in the conference (124.2/26th nationally). In his first season with UCLA in 2020, the Bruins defense led the Pac-12 in fewest rushing yards per carry allowed (3.6) and rated eighth in the nation while leading the league in sacks per game (3.29).
Prior to his time at UCLA, Nansen spent six seasons on the coaching staff at USC. In 2019, he guided the inside linebackers and was the defensive run game coordinator. From 2016-18, he held the title of assistant head coach while working with the linebackers and coordinating recruiting efforts.
In 2017, Nansen was named the Pac-12 Recruiter of the Year by 247Sports.com and helped guide the USC defense that ranked fourth nationally in red zone defense (.712) and fifth in sacks (3.3), while coaching linebacker Uchenna Nwosu, who was a first-team All-American and a second-round pick in the NFL draft.
Nansen’s first two seasons at USC (2014-2015) were under Sarkisian and spent as the running backs coach and special teams coordinator. In 2015, tailbacks Ronald Jones II and Justin Davis each rushed for more than 900 yards, while Jones set the USC freshman season rushing record and became just the second true freshman to lead USC in season rushing. In 2014, tailback Javorius Allen made All-Pac-12 first team while rushing for 1,489 yards (the most by a Trojan since 2005) and he was an NFL fourth round draft pick. USC’s special teams also returned two punts and two kickoffs for touchdowns.
Nansen spent the previous five seasons coaching for Sarkisian at Washington in a variety of roles from 2009-13. From 2012-13, he was the assistant head coach, running backs coach and special teams coordinator. In 2012 and 2013, Bishop Sankey put together back-to-back top-20 national rushing finishes. Sankey, who was a Doak Walker Award finalist in 2013, ranked fourth nationally in rushing yards per game (143.8) that season and the Huskies rated 15th-best in the country in rushing offense. In 2012, Sankey was 19th in the NCAA with a 110.7 rushing yards per game mark and went on to play in the NFL with the Tennessee Titans.
In 2011, Washington ranked No. 7 in the nation in net punting and No. 21 in punt return defense. In 2010, his special teams featured school record-setting punter Kiel Rasp, and in 2009, Nansen coached defensive end Daniel Te’o-Nesheim an NFL draftee who finished his career with a school-record 30 sacks.
Before coaching at Washington, Nansen spent five seasons from 2004-08 at Idaho, where he worked with the linebackers his first three years, defensive line the final two years and special teams each season.
He began his college coaching career as a graduate assistant at Louisville in 1999, working with the defensive line as the Cardinals earned a berth in the Humanitarian Bowl. His first full-time coaching job came in 2000 as the Montana State running backs coach, and he went on to coach three seasons (2001-03) at Idaho State over the cornerbacks and the secondary.
Nansen was a three-year letterman linebacker at Washington State and received his bachelor’s degree in business administration in 1997. He and his wife, Hale, have three children – Makena Lei, Kealia Kei and Johnny Jr.
