Nansen is charged with Class B DWI. A one-game suspension is employment, not a verdict.

A DWI arrest and a team suspension are not a conviction. A Class B misdemeanor still requires proof of intoxication while driving. Employer discipline is a separate file from the criminal one. Texas Longhorns co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach Johnny Nansen, 52, was arrested Wednesday night, Sept. 16–17, 2026, after a three-vehicle crash about 8:55 p.m. in the 700 block of northbound South Capital of Texas Highway in West Austin. Austin police reported signs of impairment and clues on standardized field sobriety tests. He is charged with Class B misdemeanor DWI. A booking and a field-test write-up are how a DWI file starts. They are not a finding that the State proved intoxication.

Reporting says Nansen told the officer he had one to a couple of sips of a Truly hard seltzer. A roadside statement is evidence the State may offer. Sips are not a legal defense by themselves, and they are not a guilty plea. Head coach Steve Sarkisian said the program is gathering facts and that he is disappointed. Reporting put Nansen on a one-game suspension for Saturday’s Sept. 19 home game against UTSA, with athletic director Chris Del Conte able to extend it, and defensive analyst Garrett Cox expected to lead the linebacker room in the meantime. A Saturday scratch is a roster decision. It does not decide the Class B count. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.