Shouldn’t we fire the OC now?
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Nice collection of photos, Alex showing up at the Huntsman Center:
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AAAWWWEEESSSSOOOMMMEEEE! I’m so excited to have him back 
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Anyone else going to the meet and greet with Alex at the Huntsman tongiht?
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I’m headed up and hope others will too. A large vocal group will send a message we are excited for the hire and hopefully make an impression on potential recruits.
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You wanna try and meet up by the Door closest to the Trax stop? I’m a giant 6’6’ hobbling old sailor. I’ll hang around outside that door waring a NAVY hat! LOL
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OK If anyone else is ai JMHC I am sitting up at top of Section B, in the area with the wheelchair slots! Come by and say hi!!
No, wish I was, but I promised my wife weeks ago I’d make corned beef and cabbage, with boiled potatoes (the way my Irish mentor taught me decades ago) tonight to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, and I simply can’t back out now 
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Oh cool you can bring me some leftovers tomorrow since you know where I live. 
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Tonight’s St. Paddy’s Dinner…
Corned Beef
Cabbage
Potatoes
Carrot Cake Dessert
The backup briskets will get smoked during the summer.
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Any announcements regarding assistant coaches?
Like most coaches, Alex will succeed or fail based on his and staff’s ability to recruit and develop talent. Unfortunately for the Utes his commitment to completing the season with Dallas (which I understand and cannot fault him for) will make it difficult to create a competitive roster for the coming year. In many ways, the tournament we are in will give him the opportunity to start to develop a relationship with some of the current players. IMO, it would be great if he can retain KD, Ezra, Wahlin, Miro, Keller Erickson and even Mike.
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It was a very good introduction. Taylor Randall was excellent, as usual, Harlan was solid, Alex Jensen that shy kid from Viewmont HS has really grown up. He showed why Ute nation is excited to welcome him back home.
Smart, witty, exceptionally genuine, exuding competence, caring, values and appreciation for those who came before him at Utah, and those who’ve been here since he played.
He said Majerus sort of ruined the game for his players, because they could no longer watch a game without seeing all the details.
He was appreciative of Majerus, Ty Corbin, Quinn Snyder, Will Hardy and Jason Kidd.
“When I was playing in Europe, I got a call from Majerus at Saint Louis, and I just couldn’t tell him no”, drawing chuckles. Everyone knew what he meant.
Said being an assistant lets you observe from the side what works, and when to use what techniques. He used the word “timing” about 10 times. That word is a good description of Alex’s game as a Ute - predictably in the right place at the right time.
Jason Kidd: “You have to know how many bullets you have”, regarding when to use what approach.
Alex: “I never played football, never coached it, but I’m fascinated watching how football coaches work”.
Rick made an impression in his introduction as a funnyman.
Alex made his impression in a way you’d expect Alex Jensen the Utah player to make his. Except now he’s a man in his prime. Wise, thoughtful, sincere, some wit blended in, with appreciation and ambition to carry on the Utah basketball legacy.
GREAT DAY TO BE A UTE!!!
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Another response: Question was about recruiting philosophy in the age of NIL.
He said from his time being a HC in the D- League (now the G-League) he realized right away that though money is involved, you still need to earn the trust of players, they have to know you care about them, their families and their future.
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I had forgotten how soft spoken he is. He is VERY atypical for someone from Davis County who grew up in that hotbed of intolerance and oppressive religious attitudes. I remember very well being in the Hunty when VHS played for the championship: I had zero ties to Viewmont, but got caught up in the viking fervor like many others. I was so happy when shortly thereafter he was headed for Utah… The complete antithesis of those jackass Reid boys.
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I now live in Davis County (Fruit Hts). I’m an Ogden Boy.
Didn’t realize Davis County was the Utah County of the North. Haha
I forgot what pills those two were, apples that fell out of the Roger Reid tree.
The early Majerus years were exquisite: Utah was starting to systematically beat teams - on the road! - who we struggled with before. Then in the postgame, Marcroft would ask Rick some question, and he would go on this big stream of consciousness about the Road Less Traveled or forgetting he was at Mark Rydalch’s mission homecoming.
“It’s not it was a red letter day for me, it’s not like it was the Bowling Proprietors Association Christmas party”.
Rick would talk about anything but the game - engaging, funny, insightful, philosophical.
Meanwhile Roger Reid in their postgame was making snide remarks about how Utah was benefitting from teams having to play BYU first, bitterly obsessed by his rival…who was making jokes about Catholics and any one of a thousand topics.
EDIT - just read Roger Reid is in poor health, the primary caretaker for his wife, who has dementia. Forgetting the basketball rivalry of 30 years ago, I wish him and his family the best. Time humbles everyone.
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I understand that today we learned that Wahlin is going into the portal. If true, it’s a shame.
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Man, I had forgotten that about Reid. I do recall his boys being USDA Grade A pricks. Hope that they’ve improved over the years.
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He entered the portal a few days ago
It’s likely most everyone will. Entering the portal means little now. It’s just a necessity to keep options open.