All right.
Drive with Spans Jackets continues on this beautiful Thursday afternoon across the landscape from Salt Lake City, and please to welcome in the seventeenth head coach in the history of the Utah men's basketball program. Known him a long time, thrilled for him, thrilled for his wife and the kids. Alex Jensen is our guest on this Thursday afternoon. Al Happy Thursday man.
How you doing.
I'm doing good. How are you doing sick?
I'm well, I'm well.
I was teasing the off air that I thought you were contractually obligated to do your first interview with me since you landed in the market, but I'm going to put that aside because I'm a professional howl.
We're going to focus on the moment.
I'm beyond thrilled that this was the decision from the administration and that you said yes.
So congrats.
Because I haven't had a chance to catch up with you, just big picture, what the last few weeks been like since the season ended in Dallas. We all know that you were doing a lot of work even when you were coaching with the MAVs, But since the season ended with Dallas, what have the past few weeks been like al no, well.
They've actually the last few weeks were actually a little bit better than the previous the previous two weeks before that, but it's been it's been good. Like I you know, I told you off there as well. I'm trying to be diligent. And the advice I've had from other college guys and NBA guys that I've talked to is, you know, like like take your time, don't be rushed with everything, which I've tried to do, which hasn't you know, always been easy or you know, easy for those that are
associated with the program. But no, I'm getting I'm optimistic, and uh, I'm excited. I'm excited to build it and you know, do what I the way I feel its the right way for sure.
I wonder how you know a lot of reports and I've talked to people about this as well. You know last time around when there was an opening up here. I know that you spoke with Mark Harlan. I know there were conversations last time around. What what was the difference this time around after the decision was made to move on from Craig Smith, who is a great man and I think he's a really good coach and has
a lot of coaching left in his future. But the difference this time around you to taking the job was what olt.
It's a great question. I don't know if I could put my finger on one thing. I think the you know, I think the timing was a lot different, and I think, you know, in college basketball changed in that time as well, and you know, I just think it was probably I would put it on, you know, kind of a place where me and my family, you know, I got three girls and they're getting older, and you know, there's something to be said for the stability of it, and uh, you know, I just think it was, you know, kind
of the timing of everything that it worked out well. But again, I think I think personally, like in my in my life that you know, I was more of a place for if that makes any sense, me and my family, it makes.
A lot of sense. And I'll follow up with this.
I always believed, and part of me still does, that you were going to or eventually could be the head coach of an NBA basketball team.
I mean that maybe that's that's me al right.
And all of the work you did here with Quinn, all of the work you've done throughout the course of your life as a coach in college for a minute with Rick, and I do want to talk about that. In the moment, I just feel I felt like you were gonna end up being a head coach. Did just out of curiosity? Did you do some calculations to maybe believe that that was not part of your future and this was your best chance to have your own team?
You know? You know what, Spence, There's a common line in the NBA they talk about like it's one of thirty right, or a GM job or a coaching job. And I've always said this, and I still believe it to my core, Like I've never I've never approached it that way, like like I honestly, I you know, because you know, just to be a a head coach. I mean there's a lot of a lot of first head
coaching jobs aren't a great situation. And and I've always said this, I don't care if I'm the head coach or I just want to be in a you know, a good place surrounded by good people, which I wasn't with the Jazz for a long time, and just to be able to do what I you know, have a passion for and I love but like I never, I never, never, you know, it was going to take a job just because it was a head coaching job, if that makes sense. Not that I was, you know, had you know, many
of those opportunities. But yeah, no, I think it's just like with this job this time around. I think it was the timing of everything, and I think it a lot of it has to do with the people that you're going to be doing it.
With, certainly, certainly, Yeah, yeah, no, that no, it makes a lot of sense. It makes a lot of sense. And I was just giving you my personal take that I thought that that was going to be an opportunity. But to your point, a lot of those guys are
hired to be fired. And when you see a guy like Michael Malone lose a job a couple of years after getting a ring, and a guy like Taylor Jenkins lose a job after being the most successful coach in Memphis Grizzly history, I would imagine that even underscores how nice it is for you to have a bit of a runway and also security, how where you and Natalie have roots, right, that had to play into it.
Oh yeah, one hundred percent. You know, and and Taylor. I coached with Taylor and the D League. Phenomenal coach, Like he'll get another job. You know, he's one of the he's really good. He was always a good team. Like if you have that scout, it was it fun to do because it was you know, you'd learned. But yeah,
same thing with with Mike Malone in Denver. And you know in the NBA is you know, the Great League, and it's, uh, it seems like it's more you know, unpredictable and yeah, like the stability, and I think, you know, it's interesting because I thought, I I kind of looked at you know, college with the nil and everything, and I think as time goes on, they'll they'll put more like regulations in and I think it could actually kind of be a you know, it's a little wild right now,
but I think it, you know, it could be somewhat of a good thing with a little more structure.
Well, of course, the name Rick Manjaris will always loom large around here, and the first time I interviewed both coach Criscoviac and coach Smith, I promised them that I would not invoke his name in order to not be fair to them, because that is an expectation that is hard to live up to, and you know, it's It's funny all over the years whenever I've interviewed your former
teammates or anybody close to the program. Obviously you know, Britton Johnson's a good friend of mine, and they always tell the story that, you know, you were always his favorite and you were always the one that he uh, you know, trusted.
I think trust is.
The word that I land on when it comes to my view of the relationship between the two of you. But talk about as a guy who played for him and coach next to him, the expectation that you think is realistic and the expectation he set for you as a player and a coach, and whether or not that is something you kind of use as a north star, if that makes sense.
Yeah, no, no, it was that, you know, I've you know, I've reflected on my you know, kind of my progression as a coach, and I've been really lucky and to start with him, like that's a great you know, not to be critical of a lot of younger coaches. I was lucky to have him at the beginning because it's a great foundation to uh, you know, to kind of grow and learn from as opposed, I think the NBA is a hard place to to start coaching, to like
learn the game, if that makes sense. And you look at a lot of the great coaches, you know, Phil Jackson and and uh George carl and I think even Van Gundhi, Like you know, this always interesting to see where they started. But you know, being able to play for coach mcjerius and coach with them, I got to see,
you know, two different sides. And you know, the best thing I got from him, well, the first thing is when people asked about, you know, the thing you took from Like I always say this, like he ruins the game for you in a lot of ways, because you can't watch a game with that without critiquing it and seeing what everybody's doing wrong. So it's kind of interesting.
But at the same time, the one thing that that to this day that I think that he was remarkable at was like he was like we had long practices when I first got here, but like he coached every even if he was eating a hamburger or in the middle of it, he was still he was one hundred percent there coaching and intent and seeing everything, and you know it Spence. Not to get long winded here, but like I've never been never played football, never been around it.
But when we were in Dallas, Bill Belichick came and talked to us. I've listened to Mike Tomlin and I love those guys, and they always talk about like just grinding week to week. And it always reminded me of the jerious because whether it was a preseason game or an NCAA tournament game like it was, it was always he never talked about we want to make the tournament, we want to win the league. It was always the next game, right, like getting better and then then everything
else will take care of itself. So that was like a good thing too for me. And it's you know, it's what I'm going to try to do, but you know, expectations like he set the standard and and again I'm and you know he uh, you know, it was a different time in college than it is now. But no, like that's the I'm gonna take a lot of the things that he taught me and start to do him in my own way. And I think that's a big mistake some people make. I'm not going to try to
be him. I think I did that early on in my coaching career. But yeah, no, he's he's the standard bearer and that's what you know, kind of everybody from since then, and you know after me will be kind of be compared to. But you know, I look at it as it a good thing because a lot of people remember those days, and when we talk to recruits now we can talk about it, and they might be too young to remember it, but you know, their agent
or their coach or they will remembering. It gives us some credibility, so.
You reference earlier al how college basketball has changed. And I wonder ultimately the bottom line is whether you're Utah or BYU or Southern Illinois, doesn't matter who you are. You have to have the financial resources, the economic ecosystem in place to make sure that you can pay these players to play for you. I mean, there's no other way to put it.
At this point.
The people you say transfer portal, I call it free agency. And we're moving closer to the house of the NCAA settlement you guys are at. We'll have some more guardrails in place, and hopefully that brings a little bit of stability. But I would imagine now I don't want to speak for you, and I'm not leading the witness, but you would not have taken this job if there weren't promises in place that you would have the bankroll that you need to stay competitive with your peers.
Is that fair to say?
Yeah, yeah, yeah, obviously, you know those are questions I asked. But you know, playing being from here and coming from here, like you know, I'm aware of that. You know, the university is very capable of providing those resources. And talking to a lot of my college coaching friends, like they all talk about it, you got it, like it's funny. You got to get money and got to get money. But when I was going through the process of taking the job, and even after I took it, I think
I kind of like it. Maybe I'm naive and trying to be too optimistic mystic, but I like the position that University of Utah is in. You know, they're smaller schools that you have success, you have no chance at keeping a player, And at the same time, like I don't right now, I don't want to be I don't want to get in a bidding war and you know, pay a single player like a ton of money because I think it's you know, coming from the NBA, Like
you see the problems that that can cause. But I think, you know, like we're I don't want to say a middle ground, but we've got you know, good resources and you know, getting kids that you know, money is always part of it. Like you'd be lying to yourself if you said it wasn't about the money, but also you
know kids that see the opportunity here. So yeah, like it's uh, it's very it's transactional as the word a lot of people in the NBA are they used now, which is kind of a you know, I think college is getting used to it and it's it's turning professional for sure.
So that leads me to some questions about your staff and players out with our remaining time that I'll set you loose. And you know, there isn't a bigger indicator as far as the changing landscape of collegiate athletics and college hoops than the fact that everyone's hired a general manager. And you know me, I've been around pro basketball my entire life. It as a basketball sikoh myself. I knew exactly who Wes Wilcox was when I heard the news,
and I know who Wes is. I don't know him personally, but you know I was at the OKC Jazz game with Scott Leyden recently and Scott he's been doing some work for the King, so he's been working with Wes.
And he's a bright guy. I mean, you know this, you've known him forever.
What ultimately led you to landing on Wes Wilcox as your general manager?
Well, you know when I seriously started thinking of taking the job, and I when I had the job, like my mind and I told everybody like like it's my mind just went so it just screamed a GM. And uh, it's hard for a coach to negotiate the money with the player and then try to coach him during the season. But but a GM. And I and I wanted somebody. I didn't want to a former coach, but I want My mind just went to the NBA of somebody that's that that's what they want to do, that's what they've done.
And you know Wes was you know he hired me in Cleveland. Is the D League coach. I mean one of the guys that I had asked to ask, you know, for advice, you know, different situations in my career. And I when I first approached him about asking, you know, any maybe younger guys he knew and you know, there was a little interest there. Then it grew and I didn't think I would get somebody as a seasoned and as good as West, But yeah, that that that's it's been huge and I think I think more colleges will
go that way. But I think there's the distinction between somebody who's done that, who's built rosters, balanced robsters, negotiated contracts. It's a huge and it's made it that much easier for us now. But and again, it's a great a partnership, you know between coaching the pernoples, like you're together but separate, like you know, throughout this whole year, that's what he's going to be doing. Well, you know, I'll be coaching the team. We'll talk basketball, Frost, but like that's that's
his job, and then I have my job. That makes sense.
It does, it does, and you know, like I said, dynamic, bright, guy who's really good with numbers.
It was a great move.
So let's talk about your the first assistant coach you hired, Raphael Chillius.
I had heard the name.
I've had several guests on over the course of the past I guess a couple of months now since the hiring came down, and this was another move that a lot of people applauded. Tell me, why Al you landed on. Coach Chill is your first assistant coach?
You know, you know, I got to meet Coach Chill because we coached in the summer together. We took college teams, so we spent time on the bus, became friends, and he was actually a he was a out for the
Grizzlies this year. I had an extensive college experience, but first just a good person and a guy that just lives it like he's one of the scouts, and you know this spense that when the door is open to the arena, he's waiting to get in, and he's down there an hour and a half before, just watching everything.
And you know, it's funny. We were playing in Boston and he was scouting when the rumors started about me, and we went to dinner and he brought it up and expressed interest in coming, which and at that time I wasn't I don't think I was really deep into
thinking about taking it. But and that, you know, I'm grateful that he did that he wanted to be here, and you know that's that's the one thing I think that that's hit me since you know, my staff has been here and we talked about with the players, like, you know, I had a good job, Wes definitely had a good job. Chill, Raphael Chill had a great job, and like, we're here because we want to be here,
not because we do, not because of money. But I think it's rubbed up on a recruiting But yet Chill coach Phil, who he's often everybody calls him, knows everybody and could take multiple college jobs every year. So I'm flattered and we're lucky to have him.
I wanted to ask you because you referenced meeting some football coaches in your time down in Dallas, and I understand a football coach here in Salt Lake City. You hopped on the phone with a football coach here in Salt Lake prior to taking the job, and he had a conversation with coach Wit.
With Kyle Whittingham.
I wonder if you could provide a little context on why you decided to talk to Kyle, what he told you, and how that ultimately helped you decide you wanted to move the family here and coach the utes.
You know, I you know, I've known Kyle, you know since my freshman year when he when he worked here with his dad, and obviously i've you know, watched or admired what he's done and and mostly, you know, the opportunity arises again, like I'd like to talk to him, because that's what you know, we're trying to do on the basketball side, replicate what he's done, because he's built an amazing program and he's done a great job, and he's
you know, and I respect him. And that's why I respect a lot of football guys because usually in football, you start and you work your way up, you know, the NBA, a lot of guys, you know, you skip steps.
But no, like he's I you know, every chance I get, he's a guy that I would approach with advice because not only has he been and I've been in and out, but he's been around it, and uh, like I said, just admire what he's done, and and uh, you know somebody that'll is every chance I get try to you know, learn from and get some advice from, you know, the challenges and obviously, you know, talking about the challenges and uh, you know the good and bad of it all, which
which comes everywhere you go. But you know he's uh, and again he's been here for what thirty years and put the programs come a long way in thirty years.
It sure has al How does it land with you when I say next year in marks a decade since the last NC Double A Tournament appearance for Utah men's basketball.
You know it's it's uh, you know, I think all of us got you know, we were spoiled and got used to the success. There's no reason you know why it can't be there, But you know, the I don't know. I think it's and again, obviously that's something that you want to do every year. But you know, just the way Majeri's taught me and listening to a lot of football guys like you know, like you just do your do what you're supposed to do every day and that
will all take care of itself. I mean, obviously it's something that we want and everybody else wants us to get. And I think it just starts, you know, in the summer, and just like what we do today, you know, instead of talking about it every day, that's our goal that's our goal. Whereas we have our you know, your goal about our daily business and have our goals and accomplish
what we need to like, that'll that'll eventually happen. But yeah, I don't think that's something that anybody, you know, ten, fifteen, twenty years ago, whatever of predicted have a you know, a ten year drought from the NCAA tournament.
Obviously as your reference, that's a goal that you want to achieve every single year. As you know, al you are playing in one of, if not the best college basketball conferences in America. That was probably the SEC a year ago, but it might be the Big Twelve next year. And I continue to try just to temper expectations because you just started the job and you've got a group
of a bunch of new players. But what would you say to the Utah fan base chomping at the bid for success and tournament appearances and such that they should expect year one from you and your staff in the Big Twelve.
You know, it's just like with the you know, I mentioned it took my time. I wanted a GM. I'm trying to be really deliberate with how I go about it and not get rushed with my staff and the team, and that you know, there's a specific you know, once I hired West, Bill and I and UH and Eric, like, we have our criteria for players. But I would say this that going after guys that that want to be here, that want to get better, and you know, not necessarily
you know, to make the most money. I mean, obviously that's part of it, but you know, I would sell fans and everybody else. There's a particular type of player that we went out after, and I think we got, you know, first, guys that compete, Guys that that love the game and like to play. And that might seem like a simple thing and you think everybody does it, but you know the hardest thing for a coach is when you have a player that doesn't care about it
as much as you do. And UH and I think we've done a really good job with those guys, Guys that compete, love to play. And then after that we go into the you know, the physical attributes. But no, I'm I'm actually looking really I'm getting excited to be able to coach these guys and to see where we go. And that's the fun part about is I don't think I could even anticipate how things will turn out, but I am optimistic and we have a good group of players and coaches.
All Right, I'll before I say you lose, because I know we're up against it here, and I would love at some point to bring you in studio maybe to talk about all these young men individually, but we just don't have time to do that. And we have a Utah basketball community and fan base curious about this roster full of new faces outside of Keanu Kianda Daz who we all saw play you at a hell of an
end of the year last season. So I'm going to give you the space with whatever direction you want to go as far as talking about a couple of these new players so our fan base can kind of get to know this roster a little bit.
Okay, Yeah, yeah, No. It's funny because I would, you know, I was finishing up in Dallas, I had a game, and then I would after the game, I'd call a coach still in West would be up in my office going through a roster, and I tell him I apologize, and I feel bad, like I just took three hours off and watched the game while you guys are making the calls but I mean I often having lived as a coach real quick, like I wanted to point guard.
You know, we were we were hurting Dallas and even after the game, I'd say, okay, point guard, we need a point guard. But you know, Terrence Brown is one of the first guys we signed out of Fairley Dickinson did from Minnesota, and uh, and I just you know, he loves that he's in Vegas working out now, but he's one guy. And then when we got uh, after that, we got Elijah Choppa Moore from from Syracuse. He's originally
from the Bronx. And uh, you know, you know, I think the one thing we actually have James the Conquo who's actually originally from London who played Acklan last year, Jackai Howard from Auburn, Don McHenry and Babycrfey are coming from West Virginia, and Sadhu Trairi who's from the Bronx that's coming from Iowa. It's kind of kind of dawned on me that they're kind of I don't know, the last time you were a few tah teams had two
kids from the Bronx or you know, Boston, London. So it's actually and you know, Keanu is a local kid. But I think it's again, I feel like they have all those traits. They like to compete, they like to play, and they want to get better. So anyway, yeah, I'd love to come in sometime too, Spence, and we could, we could spend more time with each one of them, because it's a good group I think.
Well, Like I said, I'm thrilled that this was the decision made by the administration. I'm thrilled that you'd say that. You said yes. You know, my family are big fans of the Jensen family and big fans of you, and big fans of your bride and your girls too.
So thrilled to have you on the ground.
If we can ever do anything for you as your broadcast partner, please reach out.
Okay, I will thank Spence likewise, all right.
Alex Jensen, seventeenth head coach and you TA men's basketball history, joined the program on this Thursday. I'm courteus to our friends at Ifa Country Stores. They have everything you need to care for your lawn, no matter what size or shape. Their four plus lawn care program can promote healthy green grass this summer with their team of pro turf and landscape consultants that help provide products and services to local baseball soccer fields, golf courses, parks, and other city properties
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