Arizona defensive coordinator Johnny Nansen to join Texas staff as co-DC, LB coach

Arizona is in the market for a new defensive coordinator.

UA defensive coordinator Johnny Nansen has joined the Texas Longhorns staff as a linebackers coach and co-defensive coordinator. 247Sports’ Chip Brown and Matt Zenitz first reported the move early Saturday; UT made it official Saturday evening.

The 49-year-old Nansen replaces former UT assistant Jeff Choate, who accepted the head coaching position at Nevada, and joins a Longhorns team that is joining the SEC and coming off an appearance in the College Football Playoff.

Nansen has multiple ties to the Longhorns coaching staff. He coached under Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian at Washington from 2009-13 and the ‘14 season at USC. Nansen was an associate head coach for three seasons under Sarkisian.

Texas co-defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski, who previously coached at Washington, and Nansen also coached together for one season at Montana State in 2000.

Nansen leaves Arizona after two seasons, helping the Wildcats improve from 125th nationally in total defense to No. 50.

“Have you seen what this guy has done with this defense? ... What Johnny has been able to do in Year 2 is unreal,” UA offensive coordinator Brennan Carroll said during the season.

Arizona went from surrendering 36.5 points per game in 2022 to just 21.1 in ‘23, which ranked fourth in the Pac-12. After having one of the worst rushing defenses in college football in 2022, allowing just over 209 yards per game, the Wildcats had the 27th-best rushing defense and gave up 118.2.

“The work that he puts in and out, it doesn’t go unnoticed,” Arizona linebacker Jacob Manu, who led the Pac-12 in tackles this season, said of Nansen in November. “All the players notice it, and you guys are starting to see it on the field. He deserves it and more.”

In a collaborative effort with Nansen’s defensive staff, Arizona’s defense adapted to different playing styles this season, whether it was a run-focused team or pass-oriented offense. If it was a run-heavy team, the Wildcats often used a third linebacker instead of their tradition 4-2-5 base defense. When Arizona played teams with potent passing attacks, it often used the “dollar” package with seven defensive backs or nickel back Martell Irby shifted to “Mike” linebacker in the second half of the season.

Arizona’s defense punctuated its productive season with a six-takeaway performance against Oklahoma in the Alamo Bowl in San Antonio. The Wildcats ended the season 10-3 and became one of four teams in program history to win at least 10 games.

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Nansen was nominated for the Broyles Award for college football’s top assistant coach, but he didn’t make the 15-coach finalist group.

“I can’t believe he’s not one of the 15 semifinalists for the Broyles Award for the best assistant coach of the year,” Arizona coach Jedd Fisch said after Arizona’s win over Arizona State in Tempe. “I don’t know anybody who has made statistically the jump that he made. I’m not exactly sure how that happened.

“He’s done a fantastic job of getting our defense better every single week, as has the entire staff. ... It’s been a heck of a job by Coach Nansen and hats off to him. I’m not sure 15 guys have done a better job than he’s done.”

Nansen’s departure means the Wildcats will look for their third defensive coordinator since Fisch was hired just over three years ago. Arizona’s 2021 defensive coordinator, Don Brown, left the UA after one season to become head coach at UMass, where he’s the winningest coach in school history. Nansen, with longtime West Coast recruiting ties, joined Arizona’s staff for two seasons before reuniting with Sarkisian and Kwiatkowski, leaving behind a UA defense that is returning nine starters for the program’s first season in the Big 12 in ‘24.

The Wildcats could potentially promote defensive backs assistant Duane Akina to defensive coordinator, considering he has coordinator experience from his first stint at Arizona under Dick Tomey in the 1990s and at Texas from 2005-07. If the Wildcats promote Akina and create a co-defensive coordinator position to bring in someone to help with recruiting, Arizona could turn to Carolina Panthers linebackers coach and former UA tight end Peter Hansen, who coached with Akina at Stanford.

Fisch’s connections to the NFL will generate a plethora of names for Arizona’s next defensive coordinator. Whoever that is will be the sixth one since the start of the 2019 season.

Extra points

Arizona safety Gunner Maldonado was named to the Associated Press All-Bowl Team for his performance against Oklahoma in the Alamo Bowl. The Alamo Bowl Defensive MVP had nine tackles, two fumble recoveries and an interception in the win over OU. One of Maldonado’s fumble recoveries was returned 87 yards for a touchdown that sparked the Wildcats’ come-from-behind rally to score 25 unanswered points.

Just over a week after the Wildcats won the Alamo Bowl, Arizona quarterback signee Demond Williams accounted for three touchdowns at the All-American Bowl at the Alamodome in San Antonio on Saturday. Williams was part of the East team that lost to the West 31-28.

Arizona is one of eight schools in the running to land five-star 2025 prospect Dijon Lee, a 6-3, 180-pound cornerback from Mission Viejo, California. Lee announced the eight finalists on Friday and listed Arizona along with with Florida, Georgia, LSU, Oregon, Penn State, USC and Washington. Lee is rated by 247Sports.com as the fifth-best cornerback for the ‘25 class. Arizona’s staff FaceTimed Lee from the Alamodome field following the Wildcats’ bowl win.