Harlan met with Jensen

[ProudUte]

Harlan went to LA and met with Alex Jensen. Alex is discussing the offer with his family and considering his options. There may have been some donors with Harlan; I don’t know. I just know that an offer is on the table.

Would Alex leave his team as they get ready to enter the playoffs? We need him now. If he is not willing to leave, I don’t think he is the right guy.

[TruckStopTerrors]

If he is smart, he will. That Mavs team is going nowhere. The NBA head coaching job doesn’t seem like it’s out there for him for whatever reason. Is he content being an assistant?

Thanks for sharing. 😀

[Utah#1]

Thanks for posting, so if you have some kind of inside connections and this is true, that means Utah just decided to fire Smith with no one hired yet. Unless this is just smoke and mirrors and them talk with Jensen is just a formality. Fingers crossed.

[Anfernee]

Smith fired on February 24. March 8th is last regular season game at TDS. March 11th – 15th is Big12 Tournament. Then I guess possibly the NIT which begins March 18th. I’m still trying to understand the timing. I’ve always thought it was because they pretty much had their guy locked up. I sure hope so.

[TruckStopTerrors]

Does the timing really matter whether it ends up being Jensen or not? Let’s say it’s not Jensen and ends up being Miller because Jensen declines. Wouldn’t we want Miller to have the same opportunity and time to sell himself and his program to the players we have on the roster that we wish to keep?

[TomahawkCruise]

For most of us, this opportunity seems like it should be a no brainer for Jensen – returning to his alma mater and being the top guy, one that fans and donors are yearning for.

I’m not saying he is reluctant to take the job, but the longer the process drags out, the more it’s possible that he isn’t sure about it.

He’s been in the coaching game a long time. What is it about being in the NBA that, to him, is so much better than being a college coach? NBA assistant or college head coach… it seems perfectly clear which is better. Yet, at least going back to the 2021 hiring search, Jensen doesn’t seem to see it that way.

It’s just puzzling to me why AJ doesn’t seem more interested or excited about the prospect of running the Utes program. We’ve never really even heard him even talk about it.

Again, I’m not saying he won’t take the job or that I have some inside info about him not taking the job. I’m just saying that up to the current date, he’s never really indicated any desire to coach at the college level, and seems to value assistant gigs in the NBA over HC gigs in college.

Doesn’t he understand that being successful as a college coach can still get him to the NBA as a head coach?

Just some random ramblings on my impressions of Mr Jensen up to the present date.

[TruckStopTerrors]

I’m sure he’s not fond of the idea of recruiting. He really doesn’t have to do that in the NBA. Yes, that could be a negative of hiring him if that is true. It could also be as simple as them covering all their bases right now in this meeting and working everything out. I guess we’ll find out pretty soon.

[AZUTE]

With Alex as HC comes pressure from fans to win at the same success rate Majerus did. Alex may realize he’ll never be able to live up to those expectations.

Utah fans will expect a ncaa tournament bid every year and final four appearances every couple of years if Alex is the HC.

If I was him the first sentence of my introductory press conference would be “ thank you glad to be here I’m not Coach Majerus”

[AlohaUte]

Reading the comments here and considering, I’ll say that I’d 100% rather coach in the pros than in college. It’s sooooo much easier. With recruiting, transfer portal, NIL, boosters, and more, the college game is much more work and stressful. If be hesitant to leave too.

[TruckStopTerrors]

Depends on compensation. I get what you’re saying. The college level has far more headaches with everything involved with it now. The argument last go around seemed to be he wanted to be an NBA coach and was on the fast track for that. Years later, that still hasn’t happened. So who knows ultimately?

[AlohaUte]

Reading the comments here and considering, I’ll say that I’d 100% rather coach in the pros than in college. It’s sooooo much easier. With recruiting, transfer portal, NIL, boosters, and more, the college game is much more work and stressful. I’d be hesitant to leave too.

[The Miami Ute]

If Jensen isn’t announced by the end of the season, then we have some significant issues. It could very well be that nothing was locked in before Smith’s firing and Utah essentially jumped into an abyss. That’s never a good course of action. Personally, I’m not bullish on Andre Miller being the Utes HC and Johnnie Bryant will surely never coach at Utah given his current career trajectory. So, if Jensen once again says “thanks but no thanks” where does that leave us? Chris Burgess anyone?

[OmahaOmaha]

Richard Pitino would be a great hire

[The Miami Ute]

Hard, hard pass…The guy had all the support and resources in the world in Minnesota and failed there. What makes you think he would succeed in Utah? Please don’t say “his success in New Mexico” because both Larry K and Smith succeeded at the same level where Pitino is now and consequently failed in Utah. If you go the Pitino route, you’re essentially repeating the same error that’s been occurring since Boylen was canned. All that being said, I’m starting to feel uneasy about this situation and it might well be that Pitino, or someone like him, might be the only realistic hire for Utah.

[AZUTE]

The boosters wouldn’t get behind Smith why do you think they’ll get behind Pitino???

The name of the game is NIL and that means Alex or Andre. Anyone else is a major fail

[Uteanooga]

Decades of poor results, poor fan support, and poor NIL support. Lot of risk involved with taking this job.

Easy to see why Jensen would not want to take the plunge without adequate assurance of resources.

What is not easy to see is why they would fire the coach without having this settled.

[OldAsDirtUte]

I believe, at least, that they are going through the mandated candidate search, even if they already have the hero chosen. Only iif there is radio silence after the season is over,or at most The Dance is complete, then I will be concerned.

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