Rick Majerus unleashed one of his patented rants, while a 6-foot-7 figure remained motionless on the practice court.<\/p>\n
\u201cLook at Al. Al\u2019s not going to get out of his stance. Al\u2019s not going to put his head down,\u201d Majerus shouted at his coaching staff and players, as he pointed toward the frozen figure.<\/p>\n
The unmoving man was Alex Jensen, the Runnin\u2019 Utes legend and then Majerus\u2019 assistant coach at Saint Louis University.<\/p>\n
Jensen remained in the stance for 10 minutes.<\/p>\n
\u201cAl was like a statue,\u201d former Billikens assistant and current ESPN analyst Paul Biancardi told The Salt Lake Tribune. \u201cHe never moved. It was funny at the moment, but afterwards I was like \u2018this poor guy.\u2019\u201d <\/p>\n
It\u2019s been almost two decades since that moment. Jensen, who was just a first-time assistant coach then, has worked his way up from a college assistant to the G League to the NBA and now the head coach at his alma mater, Utah. <\/p>\n
Jensen is back in the Jon M. Huntsman Center, trying to lead his program back to the glory days it once had under Majerus.<\/p>\n
But the Runnin\u2019 Utes are currently 10-18 and 2-13 in the Big 12. <\/p>\n
\u201cI knew it was going to be a lot,\u201d Jensen told The Salt Lake Tribune of his expectations when he first took the job. \u201cOur only goal is to be here and make it good. So it gives us the luxury of taking our time and doing it right.\u201d <\/p>\n
Jensen\u2019s first season hasn\u2019t gone as he would have liked.<\/p>\n
Some \u2014 like Biancardi did years ago \u2014 might even feel bad for him.<\/p>\n
Jensen remains unwavering, though. He\u2019s sticking to the posture and purpose that he knows to be true to build the Runnin\u2019 Utes back up the right way.<\/p>\n
\u2018Special place in his heart\u2019 <\/p>\n
(Steve Griffin | The Salt Lake Tribune) Head coach Rick Majerus grimaces on the sideline as the Utes start to falter against Kentucky in the 1998 national championship in San Antonio, Texas.<\/p>\n
Keith Van Horn was on his way to becoming a Utah legend and an NBA lottery pick.<\/p>\n
But in Majerus\u2019 eyes, he could never live up to Jensen\u2019s standards. The often complex and tyrannical head coach, who led Utah to the 1998 Final Four, reminded Van Horn that after every missed box out and rebound.<\/p>\n
\u201cJesus, Keith,\u201d former Utah center Michael Doleac remembers Majerus yelling at Van Horn with his thick midwestern accent, \u201cyour savior is at a bus station in London right now.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jensen was, indeed, in London serving on his mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints after playing his freshman season from 1994-95. Majerus refused to offer any of his players special treatment. <\/p>\n
But \u201che always had a special place in his heart for Al,\u201d Doleac said.<\/p>\n
Majerus gave Jensen the nickname \u201cAl\u201d because he reminded him of the late great Marquette coach Al McGuire, with whom he played under and later coached. Jensen\u2019s Ute teammates often made fun of the 6-foot-7 forward, calling him Majerus\u2019 \u201cadopted son.\u2019<\/p>\n
\u201cThere were only three people Rick got teary-eyed talking about,\u201d said former Runnin\u2019 Ute Jeff Johnsen. \u201cIt was Al McGuire, his mom and Alex Jensen.\u201d<\/p>\n
After Jensen left the U. to play pro basketball overseas in Asia and Europe, Majerus stepped down from the program in 2004, citing health issues. <\/p>\n
The duo couldn\u2019t stay apart for long after that. Once he was done with his playing career, Jensen joined Majerus at Saint Louis.<\/p>\n
Jensen often drove Majerus to the pool in the mornings at Saint Louis. Majerus made Jensen run full-court drills with players in practice. <\/p>\n
\u201cThey had a father, son; player, coach; boss, co-worker type of relationship,\u201d said Oklahoma coach Porter Moser, another one of Majerus\u2019 former assistants at Saint Louis.<\/p>\n
Jensen says he still carries those memories and lessons with him today.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t think anybody can argue that there has ever been a better teacher in the game than Coach Majerus,\u201d Jensen said. \u201cThat was a great foundation for me to have.\u201d<\/p>\n
He still rattles off some of his mentor\u2019s quotes when he gets the chance. <\/p>\n
\u201cHe [Majerus] used to have a phrase that he\u2019d always say: \u2018Everything we do makes sense,\u2019 \u201d Jensen recalled. \u201cThere\u2019s always going to have to be a purpose in what you do.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe people that are successful do just that.\u201d <\/p>\n
A player\u2019s coach<\/p>\n
(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Jazz assistant coach Alex Jensen works with Rudy Gobert, during practice at the Zions Bank Practice Center, on Tuesday, Nov. 9, 2021.<\/p>\n
Alex Jensen\u2019s Utah program currently remains a big project. <\/p>\n
But he\u2019s worked on something like that before. <\/p>\n
Long before becoming a four-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year, Rudy Gobert was a lanky and unfinished prospect selected with the 27th pick in the 2013 NBA Draft.<\/p>\n
But he had all the potential.<\/p>\n
\u201cRudy was this big unknown,\u201d former Utah Jazz assistant Mike Wells said. \u201cBut then Alex builds this relationship with him, and we get to see somebody blossom as a player and become a cornerstone of the franchise.\u201d <\/p>\n
You\u2019d be hard-pressed to find Gobert without Jensen in Salt Lake City. They were always watching film or bruising each other under the basket after practices.<\/p>\n
\u201cAlex, I felt, was an excellent partner for saying no to Rudy,\u201d former Jazz general manager Dennis Lindsey said. \u201cThere were some tough messages from Alex. But Rudy always knew that Alex cared about him deeply, and he had his best interest at heart.\u201d<\/p>\n
Each summer of Gobert\u2019s near-decade with the Jazz, he could be found working out on his hometown court in Saint-Quentin, France, with none other than Jensen.<\/p>\n
The two made it an offseason tradition to visit the city 80 miles northeast of Paris. Together, they\u2019d work at Gobert\u2019s youth basketball camps. Then they would hit the gym and hone Gobert\u2019s skills as a defensive stalwart. <\/p>\n
Rinse. Repeat.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe was the one that was primarily working with me,\u201d Gobert told The Tribune. \u201cIt was an opportunity for me to get up and care for the kids and sometimes still get better and still work out.\u201d <\/p>\n
During the down years of Gobert\u2019s first few seasons, Jensen often hosted the French big man at his home for dinners. <\/p>\n
When there was downtime in France, Jensen shared stories with Gobert about how he met his wife, Natalie Jensen, his life\u2019s journey and more. Basketball hit the back burner then. <\/p>\n
\u201cOver the years, our relationship got stronger and stronger,\u201d Gobert said.<\/p>\n
Those fleeting moments helped foster multiple deep playoff runs in Salt Lake City years ago. <\/p>\n
It certainly helped Gobert become the player he is today. <\/p>\n
\u201cHis knowledge is very valuable,\u201d Gobert said. \u201cI always thought he would become a head coach.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2018Take my time\u2019<\/p>\n
(Bethany Baker | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Utes head coach Alex Jensen watches during the game between the Utah Utes and the Arizona Wildcats in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026.<\/p>\n
At dinners with Majerus, Jensen and the rest of the Saint Louis coaching staff, the former Utah head coach would always remind his assistants of one major fun fact about his favorite player.<\/p>\n
Jensen never lost a home game in Salt Lake City under him. <\/p>\n
\u201cHe told us that 26 times,\u2019 Moser said. <\/p>\n
Jensen can still brag that he didn\u2019t lose a single game at the Huntsman Center as a player. But he\u2019s now lost eight games there as a head coach. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe first year is never \u2014 and it\u2019s not an excuse \u2014 easy,\u201d Jensen said recently. \u201cYou hope when the next year rolls around and people come in, they can sense \u2026 how things are done, and what expectations are, which has gotten better over the years.\u201d <\/p>\n
The Runnin\u2019 Utes have had their fair share of ups and downs this season. They\u2019re 10-18 overall. They\u2019ve only won two games in the Big 12 so far. Some conference losses have been close. Others have been blowouts.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou always want to win,\u201d Jensen said after Utah\u2019s 66-52 loss to No. 2 Houston recently. \u201cThis is a good game for us to realize how far we need to go, and how much we need to work on.\u201d <\/p>\n
Utah\u2019s players can feel Jensen\u2019s impact, too.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe can really compete with everybody,\u201d Utah forward Keanu Dawes said. \u201cWe just have to put it together for 40 minutes.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Runnin\u2019 Utes\u2019 season isn\u2019t over yet, but Jensen is already putting together his roster for 2026-27. The Utes recently earned a commitment from an intriguing international big man, Fynn Schott. <\/p>\n
Jensen is just starting what he hopes is a return to the days of the Runnin\u2019 Utes playing postseason basketball.<\/p>\n
Like all those years ago \u2014 once a younger, beardless coach stuck in a pose to be the example for his mentor Majerus \u2014 Jensen remains steadfast in the same principles that he believes will bring the Runnin\u2019 Utes back to relevancy.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m going to take my time. I\u2019m going to do it right,\u201d Jensen said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve held true to those values, so nobody can say that that\u2019s not what I\u2019ve done. That\u2019s the way you build an organization.\u201d<\/p>\n
For over 150 years, The Salt Lake Tribune has been Utah\u2019s independent news source. Our reporters work tirelessly to uncover the stories that matter most to Utahns, from unraveling the complexities of court rulings to allowing tax payers to see where and how their hard earned dollars are being spent. This critical work wouldn\u2019t be possible without people like you\u2014individuals who understand the importance of local, independent journalism.\u00a0 As a nonprofit newsroom, every subscription and every donation fuels our mission, supporting the in-depth reporting that shines a light on the is sues shaping Utah today.<\/p>\n
You can help power this work.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Rick Majerus unleashed one of his patented rants, while a 6-foot-7 figure remained motionless on the practice court.…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":628900,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3785],"tags":[7,423,6,1955,422,427,3972,15557],"class_list":["post-628899","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-utah-jazz","tag-basketball","tag-jazz","tag-nba","tag-university-of-utah","tag-utah","tag-utah-jazz","tag-utahjazz","tag-utes"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nba\/116144462278982584","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/628899","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=628899"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/628899\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/628900"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=628899"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=628899"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=628899"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}