As Alex Jensen embraces past, he turns focus to future of Runnin' Utes program

SALT LAKE CITY — When Alex Jensen last coached at the college level — his final season at Saint Louis was in 2011 — the NCAA had just allowed text messaging with players in recruiting.

"I thought, 'Oh, I'm glad I'm leaving,'" Jensen joked Monday during his introductory press conference as the head coach at the University of Utah. "In fact, I started my Facebook page because I thought that's how I was going to recruit, because they just legalized it; I haven't touched it since. I might have to get a Twitter account or something now."

A Twitter account — it's now called X — is just the start to a new era of college basketball.

A lot has changed since Jensen last coached at the collegiate level, and there's many things he knows he doesn't understand just yet. But the former Runnin' Utes great is embracing the past — the storied traditions of the program — while looking forward to the future.

"I remember playing here, and the history, especially basketball, it's rich," Jensen said. "And I remember thinking like you're in a long chain of great players and great teams. And I think, obviously, I don't want to say it's a continuation of the past — I think it's a connection — but I've specifically approached this forward looking, forward facing, and to carry on the tradition."

In short, Jensen wants to have a team everyone can be proud to support — past and future.

How that all comes together remains a question as he finishes out his season with the Dallas Mavericks, but the groundwork has already begun, he said — even if it may come together slower than expected.

As Jensen closes out his time with the Mavericks, he'll remain committed to putting together a coaching staff while gauging interest from the current players on the roster to put together a team. Amid all that, he'll get into the recruiting front — whether through the transfer portal or the high school ranks — to be ready for the 2025-26 season.

It's a lot of work to do in what will feel like a very short time before summer workouts begin.

But whether it's talking to a recruit or assembling a staff, Jensen hopes to bring a "genuine" approach to all he does as a coach. That, he believes, is one of the best ways to get others to be committed to what he hopes to build at Utah.

"They want to know if you care, and too, if you know what you're talking about. ... You try to make it a place or a team that they want to come, like there's a reason to come besides just the money and things like that," Jensen said.

He also doesn't want to rush the process — as much as possible — as it all comes together.

"I want to take my time and do it right instead of rushing," Jensen said. "In fact, I've talked to a lot of former college coaches that said that — take time with your staff and do it and get it right."

So what is Jensen bringing to Utah?

Ask athletic director Mark Harlan and it's a nod to the past while looking to the future — "What we've done here — it's rather simple. We have reached into our past to develop our future, and it's time for a new day."

But Jensen is not Rick Majerus, and he's not trying to be as he takes over as the Runnin' Utes head coach.

Jensen is not afraid to recognize the value Majerus holds at Utah — and in his own life as a former player and fellow coach with the Hall of Famer — but said his time in the NBA will have a large influence on his coaching style, at least early.

But as the college game shifts more to an NBA style, Jensen feels he has the right approach in mind as he enters his first year as a head coach.

"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," he said. "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 can tailor it to your team.

"I think as far as style, it's gonna be a lot of NBA, but it's going to depend on the personnel I have," he added. "I want them to — I don't want to say play fast, but I want them to play free, not be afraid to make mistakes. But also, we'll have a solid core of hard playing, and there's things that we do every night."

But it's an approach that will be "ever evolving" as he learns more about the college game, especially the physical nature of the Big 12.

"It's going to be a tough, hard-nosed, competitive team that will make the fan base proud," Jensen said. "That's the one thing that I will strive to do, and won't cut corners, but it'll be a team that they'll be proud of."

Related topics