Salt Lake City – The hiring of Alex Jensen reconnects Utah with a successful past that the UTES want to take advantage of while reconstructing their male basketball program and, hopefully, becomes more competitive at the Big 12 conference.
Jensen was presented as Utah coach on Monday, returning to his Alma Mater after spending a dozen seasons as an assistant coach in the NBA. Jensen spent four seasons with the UTES, playing with Rick Majerus in 1994-95 and from 1997 to 2000 after a two-year mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of the last days.
“I have made some donors call me and are very excited,” said Athletic director of Utah, Mark Harlan. “Remember Alex and they are really excited about him. I understand it.”
Harlan made Jensen return to Utah his main priority during a brief search for the replacement of Craig Smith. Jensen was previously an outstanding candidate for the work four years ago, before Smith left Utah’s state to replace Larry Krystkowiak. This time it became the main candidate when Smith was fired at the end of February.
Jensen will divide the time between the Dallas Mavericks, where he is currently assistant to Jason Kidd and Utah until the season ends for the MAVs.
“I knew it would be difficult, but I felt that I needed to end the season in Dallas,” Jensen said. “They have been great and I don’t think they care if I were, but I feel it is right, finish it, which makes hiring a staff and becoming a little more difficult.”
Jensen is a connection with an era in which Utah emerged as a regional basketball power. He started for the UTES when they arrived at the NCAA Tournament Championship game in 1998. Jensen totaled 1,279 points and 896 rebounds in four seasons, winning all-MWC honors of the first team as a senior while averaging 13.1 points, 7.5 rebounds and 3.1 assists.
This is Jensen’s first training work in university ranks since he served as an assistant coach under Majerus in Saint Louis of 2007-11.
What he learned from Majerus still influences Jensen’s approach to basketball many years after the fact.
“The line that I always say with coach Majerus, and we joke about it, is that it ruins the game because you learn that it is difficult to watch a game without separating it,” said Jensen. “There is a genius and I was lucky to play for him and start my career as a coach (with him) because you get your basic knowledge of basketball.”
Jensen’s NBA experience became a key point of sale for Utah after the UTES suffered a turbulent first season at the Big 12 conference. He spent a dozen seasons as an assistant NBA coach. Jensen was with Utah jazz for a decade, spending much of that time as the main assistant of Quin Snyder, before joining the Mavericks and Kidd in 2023.
Utah is following a path similar to the rival Byu, which hired Kevin Young away from the Phoenix Suns a year ago. Jensen, like Young, is reputed to stand out in the development of players. He played a central role in helping Rudy Gobert progress from the backup center to a NBA star and an elite defender during his time with jazz.
Jensen will be based on what he learned as NBA assistant to guide how he approaches the construction of a university program.
“The university game, I think, is becoming increasingly professional, but I think that most players are the same,” Jensen said. “They want to know if you care and if you know what you are talking about. I have been able to go through that (experience in the NBA) and I think it will help me here.”
One of Jensen’s main objectives will be to help Utah constantly achieve the NCAA tournament again. Utah has not played in the NCAA tournament since the 2015-16 season and made an appearance in NIT in the four seasons of Smith in charge.
