Will there be an answer soon for who the next University of Utah men’s basketball head coach will be?
The reports are pointing in one direction.
Alex Jensen has emerged as the “front-runner” and a deal “could be done in the next day or two,” Jeff Goodman of The Field of 68 reported Tuesday afternoon.
Goodman’s report comes on the heels of several other reports indicating that Utah is hoping to sign Jensen as Craig Smith’s replacement.
On Tuesday morning, national college basketball insider Jon Rothstein reported that Jensen has emerged as a “primary candidate” for the position, while KSL Sports’ Steve Bartle reported that Utah conducted select interviews for the position through Sunday and school officials “confirmed Jensen as the top target.”
Jensen is a former Runnin’ Ute great who played under Hall of Fame coach Rick Majerus in the late 1990s. He has spent the past decade-plus as an assistant coach at the NBA level.
After spending 10 years as an assistant with the Utah Jazz, Jensen joined the Dallas Mavericks in 2023 in the same role.
Following his storied career at Utah, Jensen played overseas for seven years before entering coaching as an assistant at Saint Louis under Majerus from 2007-10.
Jensen followed that by serving as the head coach of the G League’s Canton Charge from 2011-13 and was named the 2013 G League Coach of the Year.
He then joined the Jazz coaching staff in 2013 and has been at the NBA level ever since.
Smith was fired after nearly four seasons as the Utes’ head coach. He finished his time in Utah with a 65-62 record but never led the Runnin’ Utes to the NCAA Tournament.
Jensen interviewed for the Utah coaching position when it opened four years ago before withdrawing his name for consideration.