Who Is Johnny Nansen? Texas Longhorns Coach DWI Arrest

Johnny Nansen is a University of Texas football assistant coach who was arrested on a misdemeanor driving while intoxicated charge after a three-vehicle crash in Austin on September 16, 2026.

Austin police said Nansen, Texas’ co-defensive coordinator and inside linebackers coach, displayed signs of possible impairment after officers responded to the crash. Police said standardized field sobriety tests produced multiple clues of impairment, and Nansen was taken into custody.

Texas subsequently suspended Nansen for the Longhorns’ September 19 game against UTSA, according to multiple reports. Nansen has not been convicted of DWI, and publicly available reporting has not disclosed a blood-alcohol concentration, breath-test result or determination that he caused the crash.

Why Was Johnny Nansen Arrested?

Austin police arrested Nansen after responding to a three-vehicle collision in West Austin on the night of September 16. Officers were dispatched at approximately 8:55 p.m. to the 700 block of northbound South Capital of Texas Highway. [CBS Austin] [FOX 7 Austin]

Police identified Nansen as the driver of one of the vehicles involved in the crash. Officers said he showed signs consistent with possible impairment. [KVUE]

Police Said Nansen Showed Multiple Clues Of Impairment

Officers administered standardized field sobriety tests at the crash scene and reported observing multiple clues of impairment. Nansen was then arrested for driving while intoxicated. [FOX 7 Austin] [Associated Press Via ABC13]

The initial police account did not describe the individual clues officers said they observed during the tests.

Was Anyone Hurt In The Three-Car Crash?

No injuries were reported from the collision. Austin-Travis County EMS said nobody involved required transportation for medical treatment. [KVUE Via Yahoo Sports]

Police have not publicly said that Nansen caused the crash. The initial account also did not identify which of the three drivers was considered at fault for the collision. [Associated Press Via ABC13]

Did Johnny Nansen Take A Breathalyzer Test?

Police have not publicly disclosed whether Nansen submitted to a breath test or blood test. The initial Austin Police Department description of the arrest focused on officers’ observations and the standardized field sobriety tests. [Associated Press Via ABC13]

No publicly reported blood-alcohol concentration has been released.

What Is Johnny Nansen Charged With?

Nansen was arrested and charged with driving while intoxicated, which was reported as a Class B misdemeanor. [Sports Illustrated] [CBS Sports]

Texas Penal Code Section 49.04 states that a person commits DWI if the person is intoxicated while operating a motor vehicle in a public place. A standard offense under the statute is a Class B misdemeanor unless an enhancement applies. [Texas Penal Code]

What Is The Possible Penalty For A Class B DWI In Texas?

Texas law provides that a standard DWI classified as a Class B misdemeanor carries a minimum confinement period of 72 hours if the defendant is convicted and sentenced under the basic DWI provision. [Texas Penal Code]

Texas’ general Class B misdemeanor punishment statute permits up to 180 days in jail, a fine of up to $2,000 or both. Those are statutory limits rather than a prediction of what would happen in Nansen’s case. [Texas Penal Code]

Johnny Nansen Was Booked Into The Travis County Jail

Travis County records show Nansen was booked at approximately 11:30 p.m. on September 16. He was released at approximately 7:47 a.m. the following morning on a personal recognizance bond. [KVUE Via Yahoo Sports]

A personal recognizance release allows a defendant to leave custody based on a promise to comply with court requirements rather than requiring the full amount of a traditional cash bond to be posted.

Texas Suspended Johnny Nansen After The Arrest

Sports Illustrated and Burnt Orange Nation reported on September 18 that Nansen would serve a one-game suspension for Texas’ September 19 home game against UTSA. Sports Illustrated cited reporting from OrangeBloods and said athletic director Chris Del Conte could potentially extend the suspension. [Sports Illustrated] [Burnt Orange Nation]

Texas’ official athletics staff directory continued to list Nansen as co-defensive coordinator and inside linebackers coach following the arrest. [Texas Athletics]

Nansen Missed Texas Practice After His Arrest

Nansen was not at the Longhorns’ September 17 practice after being released from custody that morning. Head coach Steve Sarkisian confirmed the arrest during his media availability and said Texas was gathering information about what happened. [Austin American-Statesman Via Yahoo Sports]

Sarkisian said the program was disappointed by the situation but initially declined to say whether Nansen would coach against UTSA. [CBS Sports]

What Did Steve Sarkisian Say About Johnny Nansen’s Arrest?

Sarkisian characterized the arrest as an unfortunate situation and said he was still gathering facts and monitoring developments. He said Texas was disappointed but declined to provide additional details during his September 17 press conference. [FOX 7 Austin]

Sarkisian also emphasized that his players needed to remain focused on preparing for the UTSA game rather than the off-field issue. [CBS Sports]

Garrett Cox Took Over Nansen’s Linebacker Responsibilities

Texas defensive analyst Garrett Cox stepped into a larger on-field role after Nansen’s arrest and suspension. Burnt Orange Nation reported that Cox handled Nansen’s responsibilities during practice. [Burnt Orange Nation]

Cox joined Texas after previously working with defensive coordinator Will Muschamp at Georgia.

Johnny Nansen Is Not Texas’ Defensive Play Caller

Although Nansen holds the title of co-defensive coordinator, defensive coordinator Will Muschamp is Texas’ primary defensive play caller. [CBS Sports]

Nansen’s primary on-field position responsibility is coaching the Longhorns’ inside linebackers. Texas’ official staff directory lists him as co-defensive coordinator and inside linebackers coach. [Texas Athletics]

Who Is Johnny Nansen?

Johnny Nansen is a veteran college football coach who joined Steve Sarkisian’s Texas staff in January 2024 as co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach. Texas described him at the time as a 25-year coaching veteran with experience coaching offense, defense and special teams. [Texas Athletics]

Nansen is from Laulii, American Samoa, and played linebacker at Washington State from 1992 through 1996. [Arizona Athletics]

Johnny Nansen Makes $1.2 Million A Year At Texas

Nansen is one of Texas’ million-dollar assistant coaches. University contract information reported in 2026 shows that he is scheduled to earn $1.2 million during both the 2026 and 2027 seasons. [On3]

Texas extended Nansen’s contract through the 2027 season before the DWI arrest. [Austin American-Statesman Via Yahoo Sports]

Nansen Previously Coached At Arizona

Before joining Texas, Nansen spent two seasons as the defensive coordinator at the University of Arizona. He was hired in December 2021 and helped oversee the Wildcats’ rebuilding process. [Arizona Athletics]

Arizona improved from 1-11 in 2021 before Nansen’s arrival to 5-7 in 2022 and then 10-3 in 2023, finishing the latter season with an Alamo Bowl victory and a No. 14 national ranking. [Texas Athletics]

Nansen And Steve Sarkisian Have Worked Together For Years

Nansen’s professional relationship with Sarkisian predates Texas by more than a decade. Nansen worked on Sarkisian’s Washington staff from 2009 through 2013 and later joined him at USC. [Texas Athletics]

His career has also included coaching positions at UCLA, USC, Idaho, Idaho State, Montana State and Louisville. [Arizona Athletics]

Nansen Helped Coach One Of The Nation’s Top Defenses At Texas

During Nansen’s first season in Austin, Texas ranked among the country’s leading defenses. The Longhorns finished third nationally in scoring defense at 15.3 points allowed per game and third in total defense while leading the SEC at 283.4 yards allowed per game. [Texas Athletics]

That performance helped Texas advance deep into the College Football Playoff during the 2024 season.

Texas Was Ranked No. 1 When Nansen Was Arrested

The arrest occurred only days after Texas defeated then-No. 1 Ohio State 24-23 in Austin. The victory moved the Longhorns from No. 4 to No. 1 in the national rankings. [Associated Press Via ABC13]

Nansen’s suspension therefore came immediately before the top-ranked Longhorns’ September 19 home game against UTSA. Texas Athletics lists the game for 7 p.m. Central at DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium. [Texas Athletics]

Has Johnny Nansen Been Convicted Of DWI?

No. Nansen has been arrested and charged, but no conviction has been reported. The allegation remains a criminal charge that must be resolved through the legal process.

The initial public reports also do not establish Nansen’s blood-alcohol concentration, whether he submitted to chemical testing or whether police determined that he caused the three-vehicle crash. [Associated Press Via ABC13]