Mavs assistant Jensen to coach alma mater Utah
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Jeff Borzello
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Jeff Borzello
ESPN Staff Writer
- Basketball recruiting insider.
- Joined ESPN in 2014.
- Graduate of University of Delaware.
Dallas Mavericks assistant coach Alex Jensen was hired as the men’s basketball coach at the University of Utah, the school announced Thursday.
Jensen is a Utah native who won Mr. Basketball in the state in 1994 and then played for the Utes under Rick Majerus, winning Mountain West Player of the Year in 2000 and helping lead the program to four NCAA tournament appearances. He also was a starter on the Utah team that went to the 1998 national championship game and lost to Kentucky.
Jensen joined Jason Kidd’s staff in Dallas in 2023 after a decade as an assistant with the Utah Jazz, advancing to the NBA playoffs six times. He has experience coaching in college, having spent four seasons as an assistant coach at Saint Louis under Majerus before moving into the professional ranks.
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“This is an exciting day for our men’s basketball program and for the University of Utah community, as Alex Jensen officially returns to Salt Lake City as our new head coach,” Utah athletics director Mark Harlan said. “Alex brings with him tremendous experience coaching at the collegiate, NBA and international levels, and is widely-respected for his ability to develop players and teach the game of basketball. Alex has a vision and a plan for leading the Runnin’ Utes basketball program back among the nation’s elite, and I am confident that he will elevate our program and reignite the passion of our fan base along the way.”
Jensen will replace Craig Smith, who was fired last month toward the end of his fourth season in charge of the program. Smith led the Utes to a 65-62 record without an NCAA tournament appearance. They won 22 games last season, playing themselves onto the NCAA tournament bubble, but lost eight of their final 12 regular-season games to fall out of consideration.
Jensen was involved in the previous Utah coaching search in 2021 before withdrawing his name from consideration deep into the process. The Utes hired Smith to replace Larry Krystkowiak two days later.
“My basketball journey has been filled with so many people who have helped shape me as a coach and as a person, ultimately guiding me to this opportunity to lead the Runnin’ Utes basketball program,” Jensen said. “I’m thankful for all of the great mentors I’ve had along the way as I embark on this next step to lead Utah Basketball.”
Utah hasn’t advanced to the NCAA tournament since 2016 and has made only four appearances since Majerus stepped down for health reasons in 2004.
The program will now try to follow a similar path to in-state rival BYU, which hired Phoenix Suns assistant coach Kevin Young to replace Mark Pope last spring.
Buoyed by an influx of NIL support, the Cougars have won seven games in a row and are poised to win their first NCAA tournament game since 2011. They also landed No. 1-ranked recruit A.J. Dybantsa in December, beating out the likes of North Carolina and Alabama for the talented wing.
