SALT LAKE CITY — The hiring of Alex Jensen reconnects Utah to a successful past that the Utes want to tap into while rebuilding their men’s basketball program and, hopefully, becoming more competitive in the Big 12 Conference.
Jensen was introduced as Utah’s 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 under Rick Majerus in 1994-95 and from 1997-2000 following a two-year mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
“I’ve had some donors call me and they’re very excited,” Utah athletic director Mark Harlan said. “They remember Alex and they’re really excited about him. I get it.”
Harlan made luring Jensen back to Utah his main priority during a brief search for Craig Smith’s replacement. Jensen was previously a leading candidate for the job four years ago, before Smith left Utah State to replace Larry Krystkowiak. He became the top candidate this time around when Smith was fired in late February.
Jensen will split time between the Dallas Mavericks, where he’s currently an assistant under Jason Kidd, and Utah until the season concludes for the Mavs.
“I knew it would be difficult, but I felt like I needed to finish the season in Dallas,” Jensen said. “They’ve been great and I don’t think they would mind if I left, but I just feel it’s the right thing to do, to finish it out there which makes hiring a staff and getting going a little more difficult.”
Jensen is a connection to an era when Utah emerged as a regional basketball power. He was a starter for the Utes when they reached the 1998 NCAA Tournament championship game. Jensen totaled 1,279 points and 896 rebounds over four seasons, earning first-team All-MWC honors as a senior while averaging 13.1 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 3.1 assists.
This is Jensen’s first coaching job in the college ranks since he served as an assistant coach under Majerus at Saint Louis from 2007-11.
What he learned from Majerus still influences Jensen’s approach to basketball many years after the fact.
“The line I always say with Coach Majerus — and we joke about it — is he kind of ruins the game for you because you learn it’s hard to watch a game without picking it apart,” Jensen said. “There’s a genius to it and I was fortunate enough to play for him and start my coaching career (with him) because you get your base knowledge of basketball.”
Jensen’s NBA experience became a key selling point for Utah after the Utes endured a turbulent first season in the Big 12 Conference. He spent a dozen seasons as an NBA assistant coach. Jensen was with the Utah Jazz for a decade, spending much of that time as Quin Snyder’s lead assistant, before joining the Mavericks and Kidd in 2023.
Utah is following a similar path to rival BYU, which hired Kevin Young away from the Phoenix Suns a year ago. Jensen, like Young, has a reputation for excelling at player development. He played a central role in helping Rudy Gobert progress from backup center to an NBA All-Star and elite defender during his time with the Jazz.
Jensen will draw on what he learned as an NBA assistant to guide how he approaches building a collegiate program.
“The college game, I think, is becoming more and more professional, but I think most players are the same,” Jensen said. “They want to know if you care and if you know what you’re talking about. I’ve been able to go through that (NBA experience) and I think it will help me here.”
One of Jensen’s primary goals will be helping Utah consistently reach the NCAA Tournament again. Utah hasn’t played in the NCAA Tournament since the 2015-16 season and made a single NIT appearance in Smith’s four seasons in charge.
