Mavs assistant Jensen eager to reunite with Utes

Mar 17, 2025, 11:34 PM ET

SALT LAKE CITY– The hiring of Alex Jensen reconnects Utah to an effective past that the Utes wish to use while reconstructing their guys’s basketball program and, ideally, ending up being more competitive in the Huge 12 Conference.Jensen was presented as Utah’s coach on Monday, returning to his alma mater after investing a lots seasons as an assistant coach in the NBA. Jensen invested four seasons with the Utes, playing under Rick Majerus in 1994-95 and from 1997-2000 following a two-year objective for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

“I’ve had some donors call me and they’re really excited,” Utah athletic director Mark Harlan stated. “They remember Alex and they’re really delighted about him. I get it.”

Harlan made enticing Jensen back to Utah his main priority during a brief search for Craig Smith’s replacement. Jensen was previously a prominent candidate for the task 4 years back, before Smith left Utah State to change Larry Krystkowiak. He became the top prospect this time around when Smith was fired in late February.Jensen will split

time in between the Dallas Mavericks, where he’s presently an assistant under Jason Kidd, and Utah up until the season concludes for the Mavs.” I understood it would be difficult

, but I felt like I needed to finish the season in Dallas,” Jensen stated.”They have actually been fantastic and I don’t think they would mind if I left, but I just feel it’s the best thing to do, to complete it out there which makes employing a staff and starting a little bit more difficult.” Jensen is a connection to a period when Utah emerged as a regional basketball power. He was a starter for the Utes when they reached the 1998 NCAA Tournament national championship. Jensen totaled 1,279 points and 896 rebounds over 4 seasons, making first-team All-MWC honors as a senior while balancing 13.1 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 3.1 assists.This is Jensen’s first training job in the college

ranks given that he worked as an assistant coach under Majerus at Saint Louis from 2007-11. What he gained from Majerus still affects Jensen’s technique to basketball many years after the truth.”The line I constantly state with Coach Majerus– and we joke about it– is he type of ruins the game for you since you discover it’s hard to see a game without picking it apart,” Jensen stated.”There’s a genius to it and I was lucky adequate to bet him and start my training career(with him)because you get your base knowledge of basketball. “Editor’s Picks 2 Associated Jensen’s NBA experience ended up being an essential selling point for Utah after the Utes endured an unstable 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 years, spending much of that time as Quin Snyder’s lead assistant, before signing up with the Mavericks and Kidd in 2023. Utah is following a similar course to competing BYU, which hired Kevin Young far from the Phoenix Suns a year ago. Jensen, like Young, has a track record for standing out at player development. He played a main role in assisting Rudy Gobert progress from backup center to an NBA All-Star and elite defender throughout his time with the Jazz.Jensen will draw on what he discovered as an NBA assistant to assist how he approaches building a collegiate program.”The college game, I think, is becoming more and more

expert, however I think most players are the exact same,”Jensen said.”They need to know if you care and if you know what you’re talking about. I’ve had the ability to go through that (NBA experience)and I believe it will assist me here. “One of Jensen’s main objectives will be helping Utah regularly reach the NCAA Competition once again. Utah hasn’t played in the NCAA Tournament given that the 2015-16 season and made a single NIT appearance in Smith’s four

seasons in charge.