Johnny Nansen

Biography

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 2023 season 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 is entering his second season on the Longhorns’ staff. In his first season on the Forty Acres in 2024, the Longhorn defense ranked third in the FBS in scoring defense (15.3 ppg) and total defense with an SEC-best 283.4 yards allowed per game. It also forced an SEC leading 31 turnovers (2nd FBS) including an FBS-best 22 interceptions, and nearly three sacks (2.88/15th FBS) per game. Four defensive players garnered All-America honors (DB Jahdae Barron, DT Alfred Collins, LB Anthony Hill Jr. and DB Michael Taaffe). Barron won the Thorpe Award as the nation’s top defensive back, along with being UT’s first-ever defensive back to be a Nagurski Award finalist, and EDGE Colin Simmons claimed the Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year Award and was tabbed a Freshman All-American. Nansen, who has worked in a variety of roles during his career, spent the eight years on the defensive side of the ball including the last tw