One week ago today, Alex Jensen officially introduced as the seventeenth head coach in Utah men's basketball history, a hire that seems to be consistently applauded across the board and whatever ecosystem you exist in, whether you cover the team like we do here on the station, whether you're with the administration of the current athletic department, or whether you
played for the team, like our next guest did. One of the best high school players I've ever seen play went on to play for Rick Mnjaris at the University of Utah. You know his little brother, Britton Johnson as a good friend of the program. Well, Jeff is a good friend of the program too. Jeff Johnson on a Monday afternoon, Jeff, how are we doing?
Buddy's good?
I'm good. I appreciate the time.
So I've just got to know, since I haven't been able to kick the tires with you, what was your Let's start with your reaction when you heard that Craig had been let go. What was the kind of the first thing that came to your mind.
I think I kind of knew it was going to happen, and I think I was a little surprised if most people were that it happened when I did, But it kind of makes sense now, and I kind of knew going into this season that Craig had to have a pretty good season or a pretty good rod to probably come back next year. So ultimately not super surprised.
How quickly did the name Alex Jensen enter your mind?
I mean it was in my mind ever since last time when they didn't hire him, you know, I mean, I think hiring a college coach that had some success in another program makes sense, and that's usually the norm. But I think just seeing what some of these other schools have done, getting someone like Alex just made sense for our university. And we took obviously some steps back from that, like what four years ago to from that higher so this time we had to get it right.
And obviously on paper and through the enthusiasm, it looks like it's a really good hire and hopefully that will come truition, which I think it will.
You know, it's wild Jeff next year. And you know, I'm a little bit younger than you are. I'm between you and Britain, I think thereabouts. But I was in school when Rick was the coach and you guys were making the tournaments and you were making long runs. And so for me to stay into a microphone. Next year will mark ten years since the last NCAA tournament appearance for Utah men's basketball blows my mind.
Blows my mind when I say that, well, what's your reaction?
It's hard to hear, it really is. I mean, it blows my mind too. And we now have a generation of kids who just had never known Utah as a postseason team, a team that's made a run. I talked to kids who are in their teams and you know, they're just like, yeah, I can ever imagine Utah playing in an nca tournament, and it's hard for them to fathom that we were regular visitors to that tournament every year,
that we won a lot of games there. So when you say that, you know, it is hard to hear, and especially you know, I was talking the Essuay with my son. We were watching Colorado State and New Mexico play, and I was telling how those were teams we used to compete against and pretty much would beat them all the time. I mean we'd have, you know, every now and then you'd have like a Wyoming have a good
runner or a UNLB. But I played Tanego State before they got good with the Kauie teams and all that, and same with Colorido State and same with New Mexico. And it's just to see them playing in the tournament and winning games like we used to do as hard.
Alex won Mister Basketball at Wumont in ninety four, and then I think you're the only player in Utah. No, Tyler did it. That's right, Tyler Hawes Loan peak. But prior to Tyler, you were the only player in the history of the state to win Mister Basketball in ninety five ninety six. Did you play against Alex in high school?
I can't remember.
No, I didn't play Alex. I mean I would have played and had we played their team when I was a sophomore and he was a senior, but we never really crossed paths. He was at Umont, I was at Murray. We just never played them, you know, So, but I knew of him. I remember watching him when I was a sophomore and they were in the state championship, and I remember going up and watching his team and thinking, like, you know, they got I mean, they had some dudes
back then. I don't know if you were there yet Bountiful, but they had some guys and they were Alex was kind of the same type of player he was in college in high school, Like you just watched him and you're like, this guy does everything.
No, I was not there yet Bountiful nineteen ninety seven.
Historians claim it's the best high school basketball team in the history of the state. That's not my claim. I would never make that claim, but historians claim that. And I'm proud to say, Jeff, we beat Viewmont both times we played them because they were our rival back in ninety seven.
There you go. Well, you those historians obviously never saw the ninety sixth Murray's Barton. I'm not I'm not really sure what you're talking about, but obviously I can't hear it.
But you you played You played with Alex in college, and so let's let's start there, because you hear a lot about, you know, the fact that Rick seemed to, uh, you know, Alex was kind of the exception to the Rick majaris II are at times Alex and Andrea according to what I've been told by guys that were there. So, what was your experience like playing with Alex. What sort of player was he and what sort of relationship did he have with Rick?
Well, everything you've heard is true about him and Rick. I mean, it was an interesting relationship because you just saw my freshman year. Even these these guys like Keith van Horne, who coach I mean loved Keith and respected him, but he didn't like he didn't adore him like he did Alex, Like Alex was just his guy. It was it was his type of player, you know. Just Alex is way more talented than Coach majeris ever was, let's
be honest. But at the same time, Coach mcjarius, if he had talent, he would want to play the way Alex did. He's never gonna be able to play like andre did. He's never gonna be able to play like Doliak or Britain or any of those guys. And so he just loved Al. And I played with Al for one year when he was a senior, and it was an interesting year because I was coming off my mission and Coach had hyped me up to all the guy. That's what coach would do when he's not there. He
hypes you up. When he's there, he kills you, and he was hyping me up coming off my mission, and then as soon as I got into the first workouts and stuff and I was going against Alex, that all came back down to earth. But watching him talk about Alex and tell Alex like Alex, he actually had to get on him about being more selfish that year because
that was the year. That was the first year we didn't have Andre Doliak any of those guys, so it was it was kind of Alex Jensen's team, and he needed Alex to be more selfish, which is hard for Alex because that didn't play that way. But he needed
him to be more of a scorer. And so it was fun in practice compete with him because we played in the same position really and at some point during the season, coach, which was a good compliment for me, was he said, I got to keep I got to keep both of you guys on the court at the
same time. So he started playing Alex at the four, at the power forward, and to watch Alex be that versatile, and that's what shows me his mind's ready for coaching, because when you have to play the four in our system, you have to know all the stuff the four and the five do that are interchangeable, but then he was also playing the three, which means you have to know all the stuff the two and the three do because they're interchangeable, and Alex never it just seemed like he
never missed a beat. So it was impressive.
So you kind of alluded to some of the elements of potentially your answer to my next question. But I want you to kind of expand a little bit because it feels like the guests I've had on the show or things I've read about Al over the years is everyone who played with him felt like if he wanted to, at some point he was going to be a really really good coach. And he played in the pros for about seven years and played Overseas and then landed with
Rick and Saint Louis. What about your experience with Al as his teammate and everything else you know about him indicated to you that if you wanted to, he's going to be a really really good coach.
It kind of surprised me at first when Alex became a coach because when he went overseas and played, I know Alex, he's kind of like Coach Majeris where it's hard. It's hard to coach certain type of players and things that are out of your control because you it's like that stuff. Josh always talks about how coach ruined. Josh frant will say how he kind of ruins the game for you because you're you see it at the purest level. And I thought Alex might have a hard time with that.
But then in watching him in the NBA, where they don't play peer fault, they take tons of bad shots and take knights off and don't always play hard, to watch him adjust to that and to see what he did as an assistant, I mean, I kind of thought Alex was ever going to be a coach. He'd be good, but I didn't see it right away that he would
do it. And then once he got into it, just all the stuff you hear about read about player development, player relationships, it's all been pretty positive that I've heard.
Yeah, and he obviously has had a very interesting journey that's landed him back home at the University of Utah. Jeff, you referenced the last time around when I asked you when Al's name kind of came in your head. He said, well, the last time around, the last time around of course, Mark Carlin decided to move on from Larry Kriscoviak and
then landed on Craig Smith. Do you have any insight, because I've heard rumors and I've got some knowledge of exactly how that went down and whether or not there were extensive conversations with AJ the first time around, But any insight as to, you know, why they didn't go harder at Alex, or maybe they did and he wasn't looking to make that jump from the end, you know, last time around.
Any inside there, Yeah, I.
Mean there's some stuff that I've privy too that I you know, I've heard Alex tell me that, you know, I probably you know, wouldn't share all of it, but I think what I would share that he I think he was clear on was the the interest was mutual. But I don't think he was wowed by what they they came and did. I don't think Mark Harland was sold on Alex yet, and so I don't think the
presentation was like super impressive. And I mean some of that's just speculation, Some of that stuff I've heard from other people, but it just kind of seemed like they did their due diligence talking to Alex, but they didn't come to Alex with the red carpet, probably like they did this second time around. And timing wise, I think you look at all the stuff going on with the Dallas Mavericks right now, it probably just set up better for Alex to make the move.
Now, See Porter, I told you Jeff is the Johnson wins the filter.
You know, there's more that Jeff knows.
But if we had Britain on the show and Britain had the knowledge, we'd have all of it. Because Jeff has the filter that Britain does not.
It's a it's a perfect balance. Yeah, there we go. What what happened to your little brother?
How did he avoid this intelligent approach to you have Jeff?
You know, Spence, I mean every time he was on with you, I just would hear every HR violation being committed and journalism one on one just thrown out the door. And I felt bad to you for you knew what it was like for me being his older brother and having the kind of babysit them all the time. But I'll even tell you on air, Spence, I'll tell you off the air more, but I can't tell you on the air.
There you go, yeah, fair enough, No, yeah, no, fair enough. I don't want you to divulge any secrets that your guys tell you. I want you to maintain those relationships. But while we're in the space, you referenced, you know, Josh Grant coming on the show the day Craig was fired, and he said, this job needs to go to Alex Jensen.
And there's been a lot of conversation about how this staff will fill out, and before or I get to the hire that Al has made so far that a lot of people are excited about, to the extent that you're comfortable, Jeff, share with us any inside information you have on the potential of an Andre Miller joining Al on the bench. And you know, from my vantage point as a proud Jet X or a Utah basketball fan from the nineties, if you walk into a gym with Andre Miller, you've got instant credibility.
It's hard to find anywhere else.
So any insight as to whether or not Andre could be on the way and any other names out there you're hearing that might join our staff.
That's such a good question because I know everybody wants to know. And I talked with Alex after his press conference introductions with you the other day night, and we ain't get really far into it because as you can imagine, he was pretty much bombarded by everybody. And I think at some point, I'm sure we'll discuss if Andre's an option for him or not. I think right now he's doing his due diligence and trying to get guys that can hit the pavement right now, recruiting and doing all
the general manager work. And I mean that that first hire he made, the guy that's been at Washington, looks like that's kind of fits that that process. Andre obviously sounds like a really good fit, but it doesn't mean it's a great fit for Alex. And I don't know that it is or not. I'm not really I haven't had that conversation with him yet. But I think a lot of times we as fans want nostalgic reasons. We want, oh, Andre's a perfect fit, or this guy's a perfect fit.
But but Alex has developed his own coaching style, his own his own connection connections in the NBA and in the G League that he may have five or six guys already on his mind that are not even on our radar, like this first hire. I don't know that he was on at least, you know, any of our radar like former players, none of us, you know, that wouldn't have been a guy that we were like thrown out there. But it sounds like a good one. So I don't really know about Andre yet.
Yeah, that's a really.
Good point, Jeff, because I've been talking about this quite a bit, and as you outlined, and I've talked about a little bit throughout the course of the past couple of weeks after the news became official, there is this thought among some in the community that you just need
former utes on the bench start to finish. But let me let me ask you this, as there are very few players like you and your brother, you know, really elite in state players that went on to play at the University of Utah that have the insight as to what it's like to be a local kid.
And you know, some of.
Britain's recruiting stories are wild, and I always tease them like, you needed me in your life when you were deciding where you wanted to play basketball because Britain, you know, Jim Beheim Syracuse and but ultimately you guys are both local players that played for the local team. Do you think you need a flavor on the staff for assistant coaches or staffers that do understand the local landscape and what it's like to recruit kids like you and your brother.
Yeah, for sure. I mean you look at every staff. I mean they have guys that understand the local players. And you even can throw in like the religion side of it with LDS players, because you're still going to recruit kids from Utah that are LDS and they have two kids on missions right now that are scholarship guys, and so you need a Jeff Judkins type you need. You need somebody that can go into people's houses here. And Alex can do it too, because Alex is both
of those. But I think you still need an assistant who can can fit that mold of like I know the talent here and I know this kid wants to go on a mission potentially, how's that going to work with our scholarships? How's that going to work? With nil? You have to look ahead two years, three years, you know, it's something to do. I use Dell with forever and Utah is pretty good during the Majeris days because of us, he was able to kind of figure that out. So I do think that's that's important.
You know, it's interesting, and I know that some youth fans don't love this, but look, if something works, it doesn't matter what level or what sport, You're going to look at that model and say, what can we learn from what they're doing at a place that's similar to ours, even though the BYU Utah dichotomy and juxtaposition is different in a lot of ways. But you look at the
way Kevin Young has filled out his staff. He's got Will Voight, who is a G League guy, Brandon Dunson Burge obviously has experienced down at Brigham Young as he does at Utah, but really the only other BYU guy that they have on their entire staff is Charles Abuo. I mean these are x NBA players, These are x NBA staffers all the way down to his strength and
conditioning coach and his nutritionists. So do you think as we move forward, Alex will kind of do the same thing Kevin has done based off of als basically two decades of experience in pro coaching to tap into his community and his network to kind of fill this staff with NBA type minded pro type minded people.
Yeah, that's such a good question, because that's kind of what I keep getting asked by everybody, and I think that's on the mind of everyone, and I think you hit the nail on the head. He's going to have to go get guys that can help him restore the program and win right away. And it doesn't matter if it's former Utah guys, and it just matters that it's the right guys, and that could include a mixture of both. I think that would help fans with attendance. But ultimately
Alex can't really worry about that. He's got to really follow what Kevin Young did and get an NBA guy, a G League guy or two of them, and then get a local college guy or just another former assistant on a staff somewhere that knows the college game. And you know, everybody wants the former youths to come in to bring the band back, and if it works, great, but if they're not the right guys, Alex, Alex is smart enough to know, like it's his butt on the line,
he's got to make it work. And if it's if it's just him hiring guys that Stansville, you know, nostalgic for them. Then that's not the right way to go about it. And so I think Alex is smart enough. He's already doing that. I know that.
So I wanted to go back to something you referenced earlier, and al talked about this. I've heard Britt say this too, and of course Josh Grant on the radio show. When you hear former Rick Majeri's players say he ruined the game for us and Jeff, I don't mean the mean things he said to people. Okay, we could get into that, but from a basketball x's and other standpoint, what does that mean? How did plan for it change the way that you view, watch and in your own experience coach basketball?
Yeah, I mean he didn't ruin it for me as much as he ruined it for Josh. As you can tell on the radio. I feel like I have to come up and clean up after Josh and Britt on the show. Josh is a good friend and he's right in a lot of ways. Be seeing about when you played for coach. Everyone knows how hard he was on his players. At the purest level. You you learned basketball from him because he knew that he wasn't recruiting players that he's not recruiting the players the blue bloods are recruiting.
Even let's beyond a Sandre Miller, right, wasn't recruited like that, Boget. You know, those kind of guys weren't necessarily all recruited that way. So they had to come in, they had to learn how to play the right way, buy in. And then if you got the right team that was talented of you had you had the right coach who could prepare you the purest way, the most detailed way.
So when you see I think what Josh likes to talk about is when you see basketball and you see some fundamentally fun knows lacking in teams, the way they're coming off screens or the way they don't rotate on defense, it seems that you could have never got away with with coach, or you would have never been on the
court in the first place. And so then when you're coaching, the thing that those kind of guys have a hard time doing is adapting when they're coaching kids now, and I've had to really learn how to adapt because I coach, you know, high school kids and on AAU teams with my son, and you do have to. You can still keep your core principles, but you do have to adapt. You can't yate kids out for every mistake they make
and chew them out, you know. And so that's kind of what I think they're talking about.
So when it comes to the process Jeff of building a winning roster, Al talked about this during his pressure talked about playing with toughness and a group that the fan base can be proud of.
But what does what does the model look like?
And certainly the model has changed because and you know, I know people don't love the whole like, hey, the nineties, Rick did this, But you know, you go find a van Horne out of state. You go find a Doleyak or an Andrea out of state, or a Hano overseas, and then you supplement them with really good players like you and Britt or Drew or whatever locally. I don't
know if that's the model it still works. I hate to just look at BYU's roster, but right now, that's the team that's still playing, and that's the team that has the Jews. So what sort of mixture of out of state kids and state kids? I guess it's a long, clunky, way of me asking you, how does al go about this?
What's the process look like?
I think it's what you just said. I mean, and I don't think there's anything wrong looking at like like BUYU is doing it right right now. I mean they obviously have they have the excitement, they have nil money, but like they're tapping into their resources. That that igor Denim kid. I mean, you know he came from Russia because of Travis Hanson, right, Travis had a connection with his dad, so they tapped into that. And that's what
Alex has to do. And Alex has to get guys around him, like like you bring in a good assistant coach and a guy will follow like Kaiba Kenny Cada followed Chris Burgess. You know, he had a relationship with Chris Burgess at Utah. So you've got to get these guys that are out of state, out of country whatever, and then and then blend him in with the local kids, because you've got to blend him with local kids for the fans and also just to play the the right
way to Alex wants. And you really said it, that is the that is the formula. I don't know that you're gonna go get seven transfer portal kids from back East and wherever, and then come in and expect them to state more than a year or two. So you know, I think you still have to build, Like you have to get those three or four guys that will stay
probably all four years and they're solid players. And then you you get in those those two year guys or those transfer portal guys that are counted, and then and then if they can all buy into Alex assist them, he'll be a good enough coach and have a good enough culture that I that I think we'll get back there.
Since you are in the ecosystem of coaching AAU when you see some of these top shelf high school players. I don't cover high school basketball. I don't cover high school football. I just don't have time. There's too much stuff to do day to day with all the pro sports and college sports we have here. But I hear a lot of people that are around the high school game here in the state talk about how much the
talent has improved. Can you speak to that at all, whether or not you know, because back in the day, I mean, look, I don't mean to keep saying this, but you and your brother were kind of unicorns. You know, there weren't a lot of Jeff and Britton Johnson's in the state of Utah, and throughout the course of our state's history, there aren't a lot of kids that played high school ball here that have gone on to play in the pros.
I mean, that's a short short list.
Is from your vantage point, Jeff, is the talent in the high school in the AU ranks in the state of Utah a lot better than it once was.
And that's a good question. Here's what I'll say. So I am very involved with the top kids in the
state because I'm involved in that Utah Prospects program. I coached the six teams and they're starting to get there's kids on my team who are starting to get offers and getting looks and and a lot of the seven teams are What I'll say is the thing that's changed everything is that those prep schools, because back in the day, that would have been where Britain and I would have been been recruited to go play on one of those.
And those are the kids like local public school wise, you you kind of look at those kids almost differently because they're playing they're playing on a Tuesday night and a Friday night you can go see them play, and they're local. Those prep school kids are playing out of state all the time. That's where Ajadvance is playing. There's two or three other kids on that team who are from Utah or have moved to u SAW that are highly recruited. So those kids are kind of a little
different the other kids, like the public school kids. Yeah, the talent's still there. I mean there's there's there's no like, probably the top end isn't like what you were just saying, like those top kids, like a six to ten kid like bring getting recruited by everybody, But there's still there's still like probably more depths, i'd say, more guys that will get offers to some of the smaller schools from top to bottom than you would have seen before. So, I mean, the state of Utah does have a lot
of talent right now. And everybody can shoot. That's the thing is everyone can shoot the wall and that's such a premium right now in college that all the kids getting looked at can shoot, you know, And in our day it was more like they were recruiting if you were an athlete that could play, and then if you can shoot or not. They didn't care. They'd figure that out.
The Stephan Curry effect, Jeff, I mean, everybody wants to shoot it. Not just shoot it, but shoot it from thirty five feet. You know, he really changed the game. Hey, before I set you loose, last question, what was your understanding? And reveal what you feel comfortable and keep what you want to to yourself. But what was the main difference this time around? As Mark Carlin landed on Alex Jensen, this time in a way that he didn't prior to.
I think it just came down to timing and pressure. I think he I think he felt it. Mark felt it from the people who are writing in the checks and the people who are donating, and just the fan base and himself. I think he probably did a lot more due diligence and realize he's got to get this
higher right and then timing for Alex. I mean a couple of weeks before Alex took the job, if you could have seen a text thread between me and him and Britain, I would have never thought he was going to take the job, just because of where he was at. My son is actually on his mission. My older son is on his mission. In Dallas right now, and he just moved into like Alex's area. So Alex and I
were talking about alex Is. Alex wanted to have him to dinner, and he was just telling me how much he loves Dallas and how much he loves the being with the Mavericks. I mean, this was just like two weeks before he took the job, and his kids were happy, his wife's abby. He really likes Dallas. But I think this one was too hard for him to turn down. I'm sure financially it was too hard to turn down. I'm sure timing it was too hard to be a head coach of your alma mater. And I think Mark
realized some just things I've heard. He had to put the full court press on Alex this time in like he didn't the time before.
All Right, my guy, Well, always a pleasure, and it's good when I have a Johnson on that did not start a fire as a result of his inability to control himself. So I think we survived. Appreciate the time, be good, reach out if you need.
Okay, thanks man, I'm glad I can come on and like again, clean up after Britain. That's a time you need me too.
Exactly what happened, Jeff, And I imagine that's something that's across you've worn your entire life.
Yes, yeah, don't forget your shoes when we're halfway to the school. You know, your basketball shoes and let's go back and get them now. Stuff like that.
Oh goodness, goodness, thanks man, be good Okay, Okay, you too. Jeff Johnson one of the best, certain one of the best high school players I ever saw. Dude could just get buckets. He was a walking bucket, had a good career at Utah. I don't think he was used correctly, that's my opinion, but I would side on the U air on the side of what Rick majeris. Thanks not some Midleans sports soccer radio host Jeff stops by today
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