SALT LAKE CITY (July 23, 2013) – The Utah Jazz announced today that the team has hired reigning NBA Development League Coach of the Year and former University of Utah standout, Alex Jensen, to the position of player development assistant. Jensen will work alongside fellow player development assistant Johnnie Bryant to create and implement individual skill development plans for all Jazz players. Per team policy, terms of the agreement were not announced.
"I am excited to welcome Alex back to Utah and into the Jazz family," said Utah Jazz Head Coach Tyrone Corbin. "Alex is a skilled young coach who, along with Johnnie, will be a valuable component of our player development process."
Jensen most recently served as the head coach of the NBA D-League Select Team in the 2013 NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, leading his squad to a 4-1 record against NBA team entries and advancing them to the quarterfinals of the inaugural summer league tournament. Jensen had been operating as the first-ever head coach of the NBA D-League's Canton Charge for the past two seasons (2011-13), and this past season he was named the winner of the 2013 Dennis Johnson NBA D-League Coach of the Year award (as voted on by his fellow coaches) after leading the Charge to a franchise-best 30 victories, an East Division title, and a fourth-seed in the 2013 NBA D-League Playoffs. Jensen was named the Charge's first head coach in October 2011 after serving as an assistant coach at Saint Louis University under Rick Majerus from 2007-11.
A native of Bountiful, Utah, Jensen attended Viewmont High School there, leading the Vikings to a state basketball title as a junior and was named Utah's Mr. Basketball in 1994. The former standout forward then matriculated to the University of Utah where he played four seasons (1994-95, 1997-00) and helped the Utes to the NCAA Championship game in 1998 alongside future NBA players Andre Miller and Michael Doleac. Jensen was named the Mountain West Conference Player of the Year as a senior in 2000, Western Athletic Conference Tournament MVP and First Team All-Western Athletic Conference Pacific Division as a junior and was named to the NCAA West Region All-Tournament Team as a sophomore. As a senior in 2000, Jensen averaged 13.1 points and 7.5 rebounds while shooting .542 from the floor. Following his collegiate career, Jensen played seven professional seasons in Turkey and one season with the Yakima Sun Kings of the CBA. While playing in Europe, Jensen was named All-FIBA Europe Cup Defender of the Year in 2004, along with being named to the All-FIBA Europe Cup First Team.