Texas Longhorns Linebackers Coach Johnny Nansen Arrested: His Coaching Future Is Already In Doubt

Texas Longhorns linebackers coach Johnny Nansen was arrested Wednesday night and charged with misdemeanor driving while intoxicated. That’s the heavy news head coach Steve Sarkisian dropped on Thursday, just days before the Longhorns’ Saturday game against UTSA.

The Longhorns’ Sudden Problem

Sarkisian didn’t pull any punches when he announced Nansen’s arrest. “We had an unfortunate situation last night. We are obviously aware of the situation. I’m still gathering facts,” Sarkisian said during his regular weekly online press conference. He added, “I’m still monitoring the situation. We’re obviously disappointed, but that’s all I really have at this time.” This isn’t just a minor blip. Nansen, who is 52, serves as the co-defensive coordinator for Texas, making his absence a real blow to the team’s preparations. He wasn’t even at Thursday morning’s practice, which tells you everything about the immediate fallout. Sarkisian made it clear: he doesn’t know if Nansen will be available to coach for the weekend matchup.

A Long History With Sarkisian

Nansen’s coaching career is a long one, spanning 28 years as a college assistant. He first linked up with Sarkisian back in 2009 at Washington, where he coached special teams and the defensive line. When Sarkisian moved to USC in 2014 for the head coaching job, Nansen followed him. He also had stints coaching at UCLA and Arizona before rejoining Sarkisian in Austin, where he’s been coaching since 2024. This isn’t some new hire fresh out of the gate; Nansen is a seasoned coach with deep ties to the Longhorns’ head man, which makes this whole situation even more complicated for the program.

The Longhorns are set to play UTSA this Saturday. Will Nansen be on the sidelines for that one? Right now, nobody knows, and the team is certainly facing a tough situation with their co-defensive coordinator just days before kickoff.

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Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.