Johnny Nansen, the running backs coach and special teams coordinator at Southern Cal, will interview for the Montana State head coaching vacancy on Wednesday, two sources with direct knowledge of the situation confirmed on Tuesday morning.
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Nansen has spent the last seven seasons on Steve Sarkisian’s staffs at Washington and USC. Nansen was the running backs coach at Montana State in Mike Kramer’s first season in 2000.
Last spring, Nansen invited Montana State defensive coordinator Kane Ioane and defensive line coach Bo Beck to Los Angeles for two weeks of professional development with USC defensive coordinator Justin Wilcox and the Trojans’ defensive staff. The two former MSU coaches took what they learned in LA and implemented a new defensive scheme at Montana State with varying results. The Bobcats led the Big Sky Conference in scoring offense and total offense yet finished 5-6 partly due to a porous defense that surrendered points in bunches, particularly on the road.
One source confirmed Nansen’s interview. A second confirmed Nansen would meet with Montana State athletic director Peter Fields and the hiring committee on Wednesday afternoon. FootballScoop.com also reported the interview on Tuesday morning.
Nansen spent one season on Mike Kramer’s staff in 2000 at Montana State before moving on to Idaho State. He coached the secondary for Larry Lewis from 2001 until 2003. He coached linebackers and served as the special teams coordinator on Nick Holt’s staff at Idaho in 2004 and 2005 and was retained by Dennis Erickson for the 2006 season. After Erickson, a Montana State alum who is gaining traction as a potential candidate at MSU himself, split following one year at Idaho, Robb Akey took over and kept Nansen on staff. Nansen coached defensive line and coordinated the special teams for two seasons with Akey.
In 2009, Nansen joined Sarkisian’s staff at Washington, where he served as the defensive line coach, special teams coordinator and recruiting coordinator for three seasons. In 2012, he moved to coaching running backs while remaining as the special teams coordinator, recruiting coordinator and serving as Sarkisian’s assistant head coach. In 2013, he served in all capacities other than recruiting coordinator. In 2014, he moved with Sarkisian to USC where he has spent the last two seasons as the running backs coach, special teams coordinator and assistant head coach. Sarkisian was fired at USC in October.
Nansen was a three-year lettermen as a linebacker at Washington State between 1994 and 1996. The 41-year-old has a wife, Hale. The couple has three young children all under the age of 10. Because USC is a private school, Nansen’s salary was not available.
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