Alex Jensen has made his first hire. Why it’s a timely announcement

Alex Jensen’s first hire for his coaching staff at the University of Utah has an extensive history as a collegiate coach and a solid track record as a recruiter.

On Friday, the school announced that Jensen, the 17th head coach of the Runnin’ Utes, has hired Raphael Chillious as an assistant coach.

“Raphael has an established track record in player development and recruiting that will be integral to our program,” Jensen said in a statement. “We’re excited to welcome him and his family to Salt Lake City and the University of Utah.”

Who is Raphael Chillious?

Chillious, who has worked from the prep to collegiate to pro ranks, most recently has been a personnel evaluator for the NBA’s Memphis Grizzlies this season.

Prior to that, he spent four years at South Kent School — a boarding school in Connecticut — beginning as the associate athletics director and head coach for two years before becoming the director of athletics in 2022.

Chillious spent 2009 through 2020 coaching at the collegiate level at four different schools, including East Carolina (2018-20), UConn (2017-18), Villanova (2012-13) and two stints at Washington (2009-12, 2013-17).

During his career, he’s coached 17 players who’ve made NBA rosters, 10 first-round NBA draft picks, four NBA lottery selections and one No. 1 overall draft pick, according to Utah. He also coached two players who were drafted straight out of high school.

At Washington, he played a huge role in the Huskies signing Markelle Fultz, who ended up being the top overall draft pick in the 2017 NBA draft.

Chillious also helped Washington land the No. 6 recruiting class in 2014, when Washington signed three players — Matisse Thybulle, Dejounte Murray and Marquese Chriss — who would go on to be first-round NBA draft selections.

In his lone season at UConn, Chillious helped the Huskies land the No. 22 recruiting class, then at East Carolina in 2019, the Pirates had the No. 10 recruiting class with his help.

“I’m truly excited for the opportunity to join (Alex) Jensen’s staff at the University of Utah,” Chillious said in a statement. “Alex is a tremendous coach and great person/friend. We’ve coached together on trips to Europe over the last few years so I’ve gotten to know him beyond the court.

“So many colleagues have asked me if I would ever go back to college coaching and I always said it would only be with someone I truly know, trust and respect at a place that has a rich basketball tradition. I hit the jackpot with both by joining his staff. I look forward to getting to Salt Lake City, the place where we will develop high-level student-athletes who want to work hard, play tough and who aspire to play basketball well beyond college! Go Utes!”

Why is the hiring of Raphael Chillious well-timed for Utah basketball?

The announcement of Chillious’s hire comes at a critical moment in the college basketball calendar.

The NCAA transfer portal window for men’s college basketball opens Monday, and with Chillious on board, he can help lead the Utes’ recruiting efforts as Jensen continues to fulfill his duties as an assistant coach with the Dallas Mavericks. He’s committed to coaching through the end of the season with Dallas.

During his introductory press conference Monday, Jensen didn’t go into specifics about when he would like to have a coaching staff assembled, only that he wants to make sure it’s done right.

“I want to take my time and do it right instead of rushing,” he said. “In fact, I’ve talked to a lot of former college coaches that have said that, take time with your staff, do it and get it right.”

Jensen is also aware of the importance of finding the right staff and the role they’ll play in winning recruiting battles.

“It’s going to be a lot of work, and I know that. I’m excited. Again, it’s hard finishing up in Dallas, but I’m going to do my due diligence to get a staff that understands that and knows that, because there’s a lot of work that needs to be done, and it never stops. That’s where a lot of the wars are won is in recruiting,” he said.

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