New Runnin' Utes head coach Alex Jensen is officially a Utah man. On Monday, the team organized a press conference, open to the public, for Jensen to speak to Utah fans for the first time as the head coach of the men's basketball program.
New Runnin' Utes head coach Alex Jensen is officially a Utah man. On Monday, the team organized a press conference, open to the public, for Jensen to speak to Utah fans for the first time as the head coach of the men's basketball program. We got to hear from Athletics Director Mark Harlan and University of Utah President Taylor Randall about how the hire came together and what drew them to make Jensen the next head coach of the Runnin' Utes. Jensen was then made available for questions, where he expanded on what his plan looks like to return the Utes to contention.
"I remember playing here, and the history, especially basketball, it's rich. And I remember thinking, 'You're in a long chain of great players and great teams'. I don't want to say it's a continuation of the past, but I think it's a connection. I've specifically approached this looking forward, and to carry on this tradition," said Jensen.
A big emphasis of this press conference was Jensen's career with the Utes under Rick Majerus and his relationship to the history of Utah basketball. He was a standout player here in the 90's and played with Utah in the 1998 National Championship Game. Jensen coached with the Utah Jazz for a decade. He went to high school in Bountiful. This is a guy who's been around this state for a long time, but they'll need to make sure they're not just dwelling on the past and also building this team for the ever-changing landscape of college athletics.
"I've spent the last 13 years in the NBA, so that's kind of where my mind is. But I think it's something that will evolve, you know, in talking to some of the players and even some of the Board of Trustees, I think it's something that'll change and you have to tailor it to your team. But I think in the Big 12, it's a tough, physical conference. It's an underrated basketball conference, in my mind. But I think as far as style, it's going to be a lot of NBA, but it basically depends on the personnel I have. You know, I don't want to say play fast, but I want them to play free, not be afraid to make mistakes, but also have a solid core of hard playing, and there's things that we that we do every night."
Jensen is planning to finish out the season with the Dallas Mavericks, who are currently still clinging to the fringes of the playoff picture despite a major swath of injuries and a surprise midseason trade. In the coming weeks, he'll work to hire a staff he can trust and lean on them to aid in building the roster.
"One of the things from the get go is, I knew it would be difficult, but I felt like I needed to finish the season in Dallas. They've been great, and I don't think they would mind if I left, but I just feel it's the right thing to do to finish it out there, which makes all that, you know, hiring a staff and getting going a little more difficult. But just like when I'm making the decision, going through the extreme due diligence, and I've had a lot of conversations with a lot of people, and a lot of people want jobs. But again, I'm taking my time. I've spoken to a lot of teammates recently, but I want to take my time and do it right instead of rushing. In fact, I've talked to a lot of former college coaches that have said that, take time with your staff and do it right," said Jensen.
The Utes will have a lot of work to do this summer, but Jensen is hoping to build a winner right away. Conversations are ongoing with coaches and players to build the roster for next season. When Jensen was asked if he could tell Utah fans one thing, he echoed a sentiment we've been hearing a lot from the new regime.
"We're gonna be a tough, hard-nosed, competitive team that will make the fanbase proud," said Jensen. "With the changing landscape, it'll be a place where players want to come and play, and want to be a part of after they're done playing."
This article originates on UteZone.com.