Texas Football Found In More Contorversy After Assistant Coach Johnny Nansen Arrested For DWI

by Arop KualSeptember 30, 2026, 2:05 pm >

Texas’ late fourth-quarter comeback win over the top-ranked Ohio State has led to another controversy as Longhorns assistant coach Johnny Nansen has been arrested on a misdemeanor count of drinking and driving.

Nansen is the co-defensive coordinator of Steve Sarkisian’s staff; he was involved in a three-car crash in Austin around 9 p.m. on Wednesday, according to local police. Officers say Nansen appeared intoxicated and subjected the 52-year-old to filed to sobriety test that revealed ‘multiple clues of impairment.’

The APD said Nansen was subsequently arrested for DWI, a class B misdemeanor.

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Nansen spent the night in jail before being released the following day. Sarkisian addressed Nansen’s arrest with the media.

‘We obviously are aware of the situation,’ Sarkisian said. ‘I’m still gathering facts. I’m still monitoring the situation. We’re obviously disappointed, but that’s all I really have on that at this time.’

This was not the only controversy following the win over Ohio State, as quarterback Arch Manning found himself in trouble after publicly laughing at an AI video where ESPN reporter Holly Rowe was physically struck by Sarkisian.

This video went viral on social media after the game when Rowe was interviewing Sarkisian, and he would brush off Rowe’s questions with “Texas fight, Hook em.”

Manning joked publicly about an AI-generated video that showed Sarkisian slapping Rowe, calling it “hilarious.” Manning apologized on social media Tuesday for his remarks and to Rowe specifically.

“It’s easy to say I didn’t mean it, but I know my words and actions were hurtful to a lot of people,” Manning wrote. “I do not take that lightly and am deeply sorry for that.”

Rowe did accept the quarterback’s apology on social media. Rowe said that she and Manning will “move forward with respect and kindness for one another.”

“Obviously we have a ton of respect for ESPN and for Holly,” Sarkisian said Thursday. “We could have handled that situation better with a little bit more patience in the moment. But that obviously led to the situation with Arch.”

Sarkisian said that he should have been more patient and spoken with Rowe. He later stated that his halftime and postgame interviews were delayed with ESPN. He wanted to join in on the celebrations, and that’s what led to the short interview.

While Nansen’s situation is far more serious than Manning’s, the Longhorns have found themselves in the wrong light after what was a historic victory.