Alex Jensen has a picturesque view from his office in the Jon M. and Karen Huntsman Basketball Facility on the University of Utah campus.
Beyond the all-glass facade at the west end of the office, the Salt Lake Valley can be seen from an elevated view on the foothills of the Wasatch Mountains.
That view also includes an overhead look at the building next door, the Jon M. Huntsman Center, where Jensen, the first-year Runnin’ Utes head coach, made a name for himself as a championship-winning, all-conference player under Hall of Fame coach Rick Majerus.
Like that expansive view Jensen has from his office, he has a long-term view in mind for the Utah basketball program.
Time will tell how successful Jensen is in bringing back the glory of years past to a moribund program that is nine years and counting since its last NCAA Tournament appearance.
Since his hiring in March, though, the buzz has been palpable for the return of a coach renowned for his player development skills.
“This is going to be an advantage for the University of Utah and the men’s basketball program,” Utah basketball general manager Wes Wilcox told the Deseret News in an exclusive interview.
“Al (is) incredibly competent and with a track record of helping the highest level players in the world get better and improve their games at a variety of positions, not just at the big-man positions, because Al’s 6-9, but at every position, because Al has done it at a bunch of different levels, be it the G League, international competitions, the NBA.”
Jensen, too, is known for his people skills and understands “the importance of building a relationship with the individual player,” Wilcox said.
A ‘thoughtful thinker, processor’
It’s been more than a dozen years since the 49-year-old Jensen was last coaching at the collegiate level, when he worked under Majerus at Saint Louis.
Since his hiring in March, Jensen and his staff have gotten a crash course on the new-age college game.
“The game’s different. Obviously, recruiting, there’s a learning curve, definitely. And then I keep learning, a lot better off than I was three, four or five months ago,” Jensen told the Deseret News in an exclusive interview, two days after Utah started official practices ahead of his first season as coach.
There’s no question, though, that Utah found the right man for the job.
When Utah athletic director Mark Harlan was asked during Jensen’s introductory press conference in March what impressed him most about Jensen, Harlan gave a telling answer into why the Utah native fit so well into what the university was looking for.
“It wasn’t X and O’s, it had nothing to do with that. When we went face-to-face, it was just getting to know each other better. We’ve had a chance to meet on more than a few occasions,” Harlan said. “When you make these hires, you become a partner with somebody that you’re investing with.”
Part of what made him worth investing in became clear in those discussions.
“As the process went on, he just asked such thoughtful questions,” Harlan said. “I can tell his excitement was there, but he’s just a very thoughtful thinker, processor.”
Shaping a basketball identity
Jensen’s basketball path has been paved with successes.
It’s taken him from starring at Viewmont High, where he was named Deseret News’ Mr. Basketball in 1994, to a successful run at the University of Utah, where he helped the Utes reach the 1998 national championship game and earned Mountain West Player of the Year honors in 2000.
Following that, the tough-minded forward spent seven years playing internationally in Europe.
Then his old coach, Majerus, reeled him into coaching.
Jensen spent four years as an assistant coach under Majerus before jumping to the pro level and becoming better acquainted with his GM at Utah, Wilcox, when Jensen worked alongside him for two seasons as the head coach of the NBA D League (now G League) Canton Charge.
“Man, that was some of the best basketball experiences in 25 years in the business,” said Wilcox, the former NBA executive who hired Jensen as Canton’s head coach. “Very early on it was clear that Al was going to have an incredible future as a head coach, whether that was in the G League, international basketball, the NBA or a major college.”
That first taste of coaching at the pro level is something Jensen can lean on as he enters his first season at Utah.
“The D League for me, I think the best part about it was … it was my first head coaching job, so I just came from Majerus, and I realized quick that I’m not Majerus. You learn to be yourself, so your personality comes out and it becomes more authentic,” Jensen said. “And the beautiful thing about the D League is you get to make mistakes. In my case, it wasn’t broadcast on TV. Unless you read the Canton Repository, you didn’t know if I messed up.”
That set the stage for Jensen’s path to bring him closer to him, as he followed that by working for 10 years as an assistant coach with the Utah Jazz — where his player development chops were on full display, with guys like All-Star center Rudy Gobert — before coaching the last two years as an assistant with the Dallas Mavericks.
It’s a road that’s prepared Jensen for this moment, taking on the challenge of building a winner during the name, image and likeness era where revenue sharing and the transfer portal are critical parts of the roster management process.
“No matter what level of basketball, it’s still the guts of it. The things I learned from Majerus are still the core,” Jensen said. “It’s interesting being here now, because I think college, it’s evolving, but it’s kind of like a combination of the D League and Europe, the NBA a little bit, and it’s going to continue to change. It’s kind of like there’s different aspects of all that that’s true in college now.
“I played in Europe, I coached NBA, in the D League, in college, so it’s kind of like you have memories or situations that are similar that you learn from and pull from, and same goes for my staff.”
Influences in his coaching life
Understandably, conversations about Jensen’s playing and coaching career bring up a key figure in his development: Majerus.
The former Utah coach turned the program into a juggernaut during his time as the Runnin’ Utes coach from 1989-2004. Utah made the NCAA Tournament 10 times under Majerus, including the school’s most successful run during the mid-to-late 1990s, when Jensen played a key role on teams that also featured talents like Andre Miller, Keith Van Horn, Hanno Mottola and Michael Doleac.
Those times, and the subsequent years working with Majerus at Saint Louis, have helped influence who Jensen has become.
“You know there’s phrases that he would use all the time that still echo in my head. And being back here, it’s been kind of interesting that we’ll be talking about something or we’ll go somewhere, and I’ll be reminded of a teaching moment or a story,” Jensen said.
“As far as coach Majerus goes, I’ve never been around a better teacher of the game. He was a savant — he lived it, breathed it — but even if you were his assistant, you learned the game and how it was supposed to be played.”
“As far as coach (Rick) Majerus goes, I’ve never been around a better teacher of the game. He was a savant — he lived it, breathed it — but even if you were his assistant, you learned the game and how it was supposed to be played.”
— Utah basketball coach Alex Jensen
There’s been other figures, too, who’ve been influential in Jensen’s career, many of which have come through his time working in the NBA.
“As far as my coaching progression has been, it’s been wonderful,” Jensen said. “I remember, I went to the D League and I would learn a ton. Byron Scott was the coach of the (Cleveland) Cavaliers, (Canton’s NBA affiliate). His son was my assistant, learned a lot from him and his assistants.”
Jensen spent eight years working as an assistant for former Jazz coach Quin Snyder, who’s now the head coach of the Atlanta Hawks.
“I came here, and his first year was kind of a transition from the Sloan era (following) coach (Tyrone) Corbin. I learned a lot, because that was kind of similar to the Sloan era that had been so consistent, so good for 30 years. But then I also got the opportunity with Quin to go through that change, to start off not being very good, to build it up,” Jensen said.
“I learned a ton from Quin, great mind, great coach. That was a fun eight years with the Jazz. And then my last year with Will (Hardy), learned a lot, kind of came from a different background. And then I was lucky enough to go to Dallas with coach (Jason) Kidd, be around Luka (Doncic) and Kyrie (Irving).”
The values Alex Jensen brings to Utah basketball
Like Majerus, those who know Jensen recognize his abilities to teach the game.
“In many ways, he was Rick Majerus’ brain on the court. Given his vast NBA coaching experience and his knowledge of Utah basketball, this is a great fit,” ESPN basketball analyst Fran Fraschilla said of Jensen in a quote the program shared when he was hired.
During the team’s first official day of practice on Sept. 22, there was a moment when the assembled media had a chance to see his teaching in action.
He pulled fifth-year senior James Okonkwo aside for a quick conversation, and even from more than 100 yards away, it was clear from the body language the respect that both men had for each other as they discussed whatever nuances of the game were being verbalized.
“I think this probably goes across all sports, but especially basketball. I think a player, every player, knows two things — if you care about them and if you know what you’re talking about. I learned that in the D League as well. It’s hard to teach or coach somebody without a relationship,” Jensen said.
“If they know that you care and you know what you’re talking about, then teaching can happen.”
“If they know that you care and you know what you’re talking about, then teaching can happen.”
— Utah basketball coach Alex Jensen
Building relationships is another Jensen speciality, one that makes him so good at his job.
“The combination of incredible basketball acumen, just deep personal integrity and character with relentless work effort and competitive makeup, along with the highest level social skills to understand and lead a group in a way that is super unique,” Wilcox said of what stands out about Jensen’s ability to build relationships.
“Yeah, he’s one of the best. He’s one of the best who can do it.”
Jensen thrives in these environments — that’s the fun part, getting to know the individuals on his team and on his staff, and it extends beyond the game.
“(My) first year, I knew it was going to be like that, but (the) majority of my time isn’t spent coaching,” he said. “I remember in the D League, the funnest part was, even in my first few years with the Jazz, I remember I was in Canton coming back with a player at night — because they didn’t have a car, so you’d go pick them up — and you’d come back and it’s just you and the player in the gym. Like, that’s the fun part.”
Again, Jensen harks back to Majerus when discussing the importance of growing together as a team.
“Majerus always had a great line. He said, ‘There’s nothing like being on a team.’ He said, ‘In three months none of you guys are going to be on a team again.’ There’s nothing like it because during the season, you spend more time with your players and fellow coaches and staff than you do with your family, so you get to know somebody really quick, and that’s the fun part — the learning, the relationships and actually, coaching, helping,” Jensen said.
“That was the fun thing about college, when I was last there. You had a kid for more than one year and they were young, and you saw him grow and then at the same time, you learned as a coach.”
What Utah’s players have already learned
Over the summer and into the fall, Jensen has had those opportunities to work, many times one-on-one, with his newly assembled group of players that will make up the Utes’ 2025-26 roster.
It’s a group that includes 12 new faces — ranging from players who joined Utah from other power conferences to smaller-college schools to international players and even high school talents — and a group of three returnees headlined by junior forward Keanu Dawes.
He has a vision for how he wants the Utes to play: with confidence, while emulating the Runnin’ Utes mantra.
“I want to play fast,” he told the Deseret News in June. “I think that could be interpreted in a lot of different ways. But I want to run. I want to pass the ball. And I want guys to be confident, not be afraid to make mistakes. I think that all ties into the Runnin’ Utes.
“I want to let my players play instinctually.”
From speaking with his players, that reputation of being a “consummate player development coach,” as Utah president Taylor Randall put it, is shining through, even before the Utes’ first game.
The identity they want to showcase is already hitting home.
“We’re going to play with grit, we’re going to play hard,” said forward Seydou Traore, a transfer from Iowa. Added guard Elijah “Choppa” Moore, a Syracuse transfer, “It’s one of those things where I’d rather just allow our game to do the talking, and you guys to just see it when it happens.”
Behind the scenes, that work has been going on for months, and players have appreciated the opportunities to learn from someone with a vast array of experience, including more than a decade at the NBA level.
“Coming in and being able to pick his brain every day, being able to listen to him, has been huge for me and my game and us as a team,” Moore said.
“Coming in and being able to pick his brain every day, being able to listen to him, has been huge for me and my game and us as a team.”
— Utah guard Elijah "Choppa" Moore, on Alex Jensen
Added Dawes: “For me, (it’s) just his level of IQ basketball-wise, just keeping the game simple but also expanding my knowledge of the game. And even just the little things, like spacing, getting deep corners and being efficient with your dribble when you’re getting to the basket, really seeing how much he knows about basketball.”
He’s building a culture of maximum effort, forged in communication and trust.
“He’s patient, and he’s trusting. He will empower his staff to do their jobs,” Wilcox said. “And if you come to watch a practice, he’s constantly saying to an assistant, or, you know, for instance, Kim Tillie, who’s a graduate manager, he’ll say, ‘Kim, what’d you say? Say it. Please. Everybody listen to Kim.’ Or Jordan (Mason), our video coordinator, ‘Jordan, please speak up, say it to the team.’ Or ‘coach (Eric) Daniels, make the point to the group.’
“And you’ll oftentimes see Alex very present, observing, empowering the group, but then very quick to step in and to command the attention and to make decisions or to lead as necessary.”
From family man to forging bonds
Jensen’s approach to coaching and building relationships has a trickle-down effect outside of the game as well, even if his profession can make family life a balancing act.
Jensen served a two-year mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints after his freshman year at Utah. Now, he and his wife Natalie are the parents of three daughters.
In the busy world of coaching, family time together comes at a premium.
Natalie Jensen, a former Broadway actor, talked about the challenge of balancing a demanding lifestyle during an interview with LDS Living’s Morgan Pearson on an episode of the “All In” podcast in April 2024, when the family was still in Dallas.
“I think it’s really hard to be in this industry, because he’s gone so much. I’m really a single mom most of the time. I learned from my friend Michelle Obama … she basically was like, I create the home culture and when he comes home we welcome him but we don’t wait for him,” Natalie told Pearson.
“That’s kind of hard for him, but I’ve had to with the kids just be like, we have dinner and if he’s here, great. … We’ve had to create a normal space for their lives and then when he’s there, he’s actually incredibly hands-on.”
The job also creates difficulty in finding time for Alex and Natalie to connect, though they’ve found a solution that works for them.
“We’re trying to do a weekly date, we’re trying to do that. And he started this when we were dating, he’d be like, ‘I just need five minutes,’ and we would just lay down and talk to each other for five minutes. But we had to be laying down and just talking,” Natalie said. “We need to really make sure we get our five minutes in every day because it’s just so easy to just go in separate directions completely when you’re not being incredibly intentional about it.”
The work-life balance of the college game vs. the NBA life — where the season is several months longer — was a factor for Alex Jensen in choosing to take over as Utah’s coach.
He also fully understands that rebuilding the Utes’ foundation will require additional time in the office or on the road recruiting, particularly in these first few years.
“I knew my first few years it wasn’t going to be like that, because to get it started and get rolling to help me get to a point (takes time),” Jensen said. “The players are new, everybody on my staff is pretty much new. They come from different arenas in basketball, so that’s actually been fun to watch. So I think it’s a really good group, and we’re all learning together.
“I’ve got three young girls, and it was definitely one of the big factors in coming, with the work-life balance.”
Jensen’s players have also been drawn to his approach and how it focuses on building a family-like atmosphere.
“It’s always about family with me. I always want to go and be somewhere where it’s a family atmosphere,” said Auburn transfer forward Jahki Howard.
The sophomore who’s expected to play a pivotal role on this year’s team found what Jensen and his staff were selling was appealing. So, too, did Traore.
“I think I’m learning a lot on the basketball standpoint, but also like life. He just plays a good role in teaching us a lot of things, just picking his brain every day,” he said.
“As you go through basketball, the one thing that makes it worth it, ’cause of all the time you spend away from your family, is relationships and the people you do it with.”
— Utah basketball coach Alex Jensen
Those values are something Gobert noticed during his time working with Jensen while the two were with the Jazz.
“It’s a new era for college basketball, and I think Alex really understands that aspect of the game, and outside of the game. He will be a great teacher for these young men to teach them good values,” Gobert said in a message shared by the university.
In a profession that demands a lot of time away from family, Jensen recognizes the value of relationships, not just with players and staff, but with those surrounding the program.
“As you go through basketball, the one thing that makes it worth it, ’cause of all the time you spend away from your family, is relationships and the people you do it with,” he said.
Realistic expectations for Year 1
Jensen is entering a situation at Utah where there are expectations for the former Runnin’ Ute great to bring back a semblance of the program’s glory days, ones he is all too familiar with as a player during that time.
With social media and other avenues so readily available nowadays for criticism to be found or amplified, Jensen’s focus is on making sure outside expectations don’t make the team lose sight of its “do things the right way” mentality.
“I’ve told them many times, if you want to play, this is what’s going to get you on the court,” he said.
“I haven’t necessarily alluded specifically to social media or anything but I’ve made the point — outside the confines of this, it’s not going to affect how I feel is the right way to do things.”
Jensen has been measured in his approach to discussing expectations for his first season as head coach. It makes sense, given the Utes’ struggles in recent years and the fact Utah plays in the Big 12, one of the toughest conferences in college basketball.
“I think it started when I was thinking about coming because I didn’t take that lightly. … I knew if I took the job that I wasn’t coming here to go somewhere else,” Jensen said.
“Too many times in coaching, you want to hit it big one year and use it as a launching pad. And I say it to the recruits all the time, I think the same goes for my staff, is like, we had jobs. We came here — it wasn’t a money thing, but we wanted to be here, which kind of naturally talks about being here for a while and doing it right.”
Jensen knows he can’t rush the process to building a foundation of success at Utah. But don’t mistake that learning curve for a lack of competitiveness.
“When I think about taking the job, building my staff and the roster, I remember (thinking), I’m not going to be rushed. I’m going to do it the right way. Nobody hates losing more than me, but also I was smart enough to realize there’s going to be a learning curve. I knew I was going to be better now than I was three months ago, I’ll be better in six months or a year,” he said.
“It’s no excuse. I still want to win every game that we play. That’s the goal.”
