The University of Utah is turning to its past in hopes of turning around its future on the hardwood.
Alex Jensen, the former Runnin' Utes star forward who helped the program enjoy some of its finest moments in school history, will be the next head coach of the Utah men's basketball program.
The school announced the move Thursday, hours after several national reports surfaced that Utah had agreed to a deal with Jensen.
"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 in a statement.
That journey most recently has included 12 years as an assistant coach at the NBA level — 10 years with the Utah Jazz and the past two with the Dallas Mavericks.
Now, the 48-year-old Jensen, who hails from Centerville and was named Deseret News' Mr. Basketball in 1994 during his senior year at Viewmont High, is coming home.
Utah Jazz Summer League head coach Alex Jensen gives a talk to his team during a practice at the Jon M. & Karen Huntsman Basketball Facility in Salt Lake City on Saturday, July 1, 2017. | Kelsey Brunner, Deseret News
The dozen years of experience at the NBA level will be valuable for Jensen in his first foray into being a college head coach.
So, too, will his previous six years as a coach.
Following a seven-year overseas professional career, Jensen spent four seasons as an assistant at Saint Louis University under his head coach at Utah, Rick Majerus, before becoming the head coach of the G League's Canton Charge for two seasons.
During his final year with the Charge, before he moved back to Utah and became an assistant with the Jazz, Jensen was named the 2013 G League Coach of the Year.
Jensen has become well-known for his player development skills, a trait that found the spotlight during his time with the Jazz working under head coaches Ty Corbin, Quin Snyder and Will Hardy.
Four years ago, the last time the Utah coaching job was open, Jensen was up for consideration for the Utes position before withdrawing his name and staying with the Jazz.
At the time, former Jazz center Rudy Gobert, who's now with the Minnesota Timberwolves and is a four-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year honoree, spoke highly of Jensen's care and player development.
"Since my rookie year, when I wasn't playing, (Jensen) was there, putting the time in to help me grow as a player," Gobert told the Deseret News' Sarah Todd in 2021 . "He would come in late, come back in the afternoon, at night, come to France, to my camp ... just spending a lot of time with me and really help me grow as a person and as a player. And he's someone that's always told me the truth."
Jensen, too, understands what needs to go into a culture of winning basketball at Utah.
He played for the Utes in the 1994-95 season, then served a two-year mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints before returning to Utah for three seasons from 1997-2000.
His first year back from the mission, Jensen was a part of the Utah team that reached the 1998 national championship game.
He also played alongside former Utah greats Andre Miller, Keith Van Horn and Michael Doleac.
The Utes reached the NCAA tournament every year Jensen was on the roster and he learned under Majerus, the late Hall of Fame coach who went 323-95 as Utah's coach and has a notable coaching tree that includes Jensen.
Jensen also has knowledge of the Utah scene, having played both his high school and college days in the Beehive State. Then there were his 10 years with the Jazz.
Jensen is the first Utah native to serve full time as the Utes' head coach since Lynn Archibald coached Utah in the 1980s.
Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell (45) and Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert (27) sit with coaches Johnnie Bryant and Alex Jensen as the Utah Jazz practice to play the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 2 of the NBA playoffs in Oklahoma City on Tuesday, April 17, 2018. | Scott G Winterton, Deseret News
One of the biggest challenges that Jensen will face is being able to compete in the Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) world.
NIL resources have changed the college game in recent years, and this position isn't the same as it was the last time Utah had a head coaching vacancy in 2021.
For instance, The Salt Lake Tribune reported that Utah had about $2 million in NIL money for the current season.
To compete in the Big 12, that will have to change, and getting more support from Utah boosters will be necessary in a league that is often seen as one of the best two or three in the country.
The Utes also have largely an apathetic fanbase in their current state.
A good portion of that can be tied to a shortage of NCAA tournament appearances — it has been nine years since the Utes played in the NCAAs.
Since Majerus left Utah at the end of the 2003-04 season, the Utes have been to the NCAA tournament only four times, and one of those times was the next season when a large amount of Majerus recruits were still on the roster for his replacement, Ray Giacoletti.
The infamous curtains at the Huntsman have been lifted at the arena this season during men's basketball games, but the fact they were even a thing to begin with tells you the state that Utah's men's program has fallen to.
Then there's the challenge of filling out a winning coaching staff for someone like Jensen, who has limited head coaching experience himself.
Much had been made of the fact that just last year, BYU followed a similar path, choosing its head coaching successor from the NBA assistant coach ranks, as Kevin Young went from Phoenix Suns assistant to Cougars head coach.
Those connections he made — and the significant financial backing from boosters — have helped Young put together a competitive roster and coaching staff in his first season.
Jensen may already be well on his way to gaining a decided advantage in that respect — CBS Sports reported that Miller, who's in his third season as head coach of the G League's Grand Rapids Gold, is "in the mix" to come to Utah as an assistant coach.
Miller's 17-year NBA career and his presence could be valuable, both in the coaching realm and on the recruiting trail.
Miller grew up in the Los Angeles area, and he could help open up avenues in talent-rich California.
Jensen, himself, has international ties, and that could lead to finding talent from outside the United States.
Can Utah also find success recruiting the home state under Jensen?
Last year, the Utes were able to sign locals Jaxon Johnson and David Katoa, who are both on Latter-day Saint missions right now.
None of the top eight Utah talents in the 2025 class, according to 247 Sports , are headed to Utah.
In 2026, there are currently five recruits in the top 101 nationally at Utah schools — yes, that includes players from schools like Wasatch Academy and Utah Prep, but there's also Timpview's Dean Rueckert and Springville's Jamyn Sondrup.
Jensen has the pedigree to attract local talent to Salt Lake City.
Will it pay off?
Jensen has the backing of his new boss.
"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," Utah athletic director Mark Harlan said in a statement. "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."
