In mid-January, UCLA Bruins football lost an assistant to an ACC school. A month and a half later, that hole has been filled. And by a man very familiar with the UCLA-USC rivalry.
The Bruins announced Monday evening that Johnny Nansen has been added to Chip Kelly‘s coaching staff. Specifically, Nansen has been hired to serve as the Bruins’ defensive line coach.
Nansen will replace Vince Oghobaase, who left the UCLA Bruins football staff to assume the same position at Boston College.
The past six seasons, Nansen was an assistant at UCLA Bruins football rival USC. The first two seasons at USC, he was the running backs coach/special teams coordinator/assistant head coach. The next three seasons with the Trojans, Nansen was linebackers coach/recruiting coordinator/assistant head coach. His last season before his firing, he was inside linebackers coach and defensive running-game coordinator.
Nansen has actually spent the past 11 seasons as an assistant in the Pac-12. Prior to USC, the California native was on the staff at Washington for five years. Nansen was the defensive line coach the first two years as the defensive line coach before moving over to the other side of the ball as running backs coach for the final three. Also during his time with the Huskies, Nansen also served as various points as special teams coordinator and recruiting coordinator. He also held the title of assistant head coach for the last two years.
In addition to his coaching experience, he was also a player in the Pac-12. From 1992-96, he was a linebacker at Washington State.