WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.160 --> 00:00:03.680 My voice may not last until six o'clock tonight. Drinking 2 00:00:03.720 --> 00:00:07.120 the tea, drinking the water got the cough chops going, 3 00:00:07.919 --> 00:00:10.560 so bear with me. But luckily, our next guest is 4 00:00:10.679 --> 00:00:14.400 a brilliant, phenomenal storyteller, so I can simply just bring 5 00:00:14.480 --> 00:00:17.120 him in, ask maybe one question, and let him talk 6 00:00:17.160 --> 00:00:19.839 for the next twenty five minutes. One of my favorites, 7 00:00:19.879 --> 00:00:21.000 one of the best to ever do it at the 8 00:00:21.079 --> 00:00:24.960 University of Utah, returning to the program is our guy, 9 00:00:25.000 --> 00:00:27.800 Brittan Johnson. On a Monday Brett, Happy Monday, brother, How 10 00:00:27.800 --> 00:00:28.160 are we doing? 11 00:00:29.120 --> 00:00:31.519 Goode? What's going on with your voice? Man? Who you 12 00:00:31.559 --> 00:00:32.359 been screaming at? 13 00:00:32.560 --> 00:00:33.240 Well? No one. 14 00:00:34.079 --> 00:00:38.880 I went to Orlando with my brother over the weekends 15 00:00:39.039 --> 00:00:42.240 and we saw the Bayhill Golf Tournament Arnie Spot, which 16 00:00:42.280 --> 00:00:45.799 was fun. And I must have been on the flight home, dude, 17 00:00:45.840 --> 00:00:48.240 because you know those planes, you got a lot of kids, 18 00:00:48.320 --> 00:00:50.320 a lot of people coming back from Disney, people not 19 00:00:50.399 --> 00:00:53.640 feeling well. Because I felt great on my trip and 20 00:00:53.679 --> 00:00:56.799 then I landed went home. Within a couple of hours, 21 00:00:56.840 --> 00:00:59.759 I had this chest nasal Whatever the hell's going on things? 22 00:00:59.799 --> 00:01:02.039 So I don't know, man, I'm just doing my best 23 00:01:02.039 --> 00:01:03.520 to make it through. What's what's good with you? 24 00:01:03.560 --> 00:01:05.799 Man? You got sounds like sounds like you need to 25 00:01:05.799 --> 00:01:08.599 get down to Murray and have yourself a pizza bender. Nice. Stop, 26 00:01:09.200 --> 00:01:11.040 you'll hey, you'll feel better in the morning. 27 00:01:11.239 --> 00:01:13.599 How dare you put that in my head during the show. 28 00:01:13.640 --> 00:01:16.000 You know what a big fan I am. What is 29 00:01:16.040 --> 00:01:16.920 it called the village? 30 00:01:17.239 --> 00:01:19.719 What is it? Italian village? 31 00:01:19.719 --> 00:01:19.920 Man? 32 00:01:20.000 --> 00:01:22.000 My my people, Britt, my people. 33 00:01:23.280 --> 00:01:26.640 Well, yeah, where we always hung out after our Murray 34 00:01:26.680 --> 00:01:30.439 High basketball games and yeah, pizza bender, dude, cal zone, 35 00:01:30.560 --> 00:01:33.280 it's it was good for the stomach experience. I'm doing 36 00:01:33.280 --> 00:01:35.519 brave man. It's good to hear your voice and good 37 00:01:35.519 --> 00:01:36.760 to join you here for a minute. Now. 38 00:01:36.840 --> 00:01:38.239 I miss you, man, I miss you up here. 39 00:01:38.280 --> 00:01:40.680 But I know that everything's going well down in Saint George, 40 00:01:40.719 --> 00:01:43.159 and I just you know, you were one of the 41 00:01:43.159 --> 00:01:45.359 first people I thought of when I heard the rumor 42 00:01:45.400 --> 00:01:48.439 that it might be Alex and certainly appreciate your time 43 00:01:48.480 --> 00:01:51.359 today now that it is official, Britt. So let you 44 00:01:51.439 --> 00:01:54.760 start with your instant reaction when you heard that it 45 00:01:54.840 --> 00:01:56.640 might be Alex and then later on heard that it 46 00:01:56.640 --> 00:01:58.239 would be What went through your mind? 47 00:01:59.239 --> 00:02:01.719 Well, when when I first heard it, I text him. 48 00:02:01.879 --> 00:02:04.680 I said, ow are we coming or not? And he 49 00:02:04.680 --> 00:02:08.159 he responded back in his very Alex fashion, it was 50 00:02:08.240 --> 00:02:10.719 myself and Jeff we were on a thread together. He 51 00:02:10.840 --> 00:02:14.840 responded back, Man, I absolutely love Dallas and this is 52 00:02:14.599 --> 00:02:17.319 a This is just such a nice job. So not 53 00:02:17.439 --> 00:02:20.879 giving me anything right and also just saying I know 54 00:02:20.960 --> 00:02:22.919 that's going to be a huge responsibility to try and 55 00:02:22.960 --> 00:02:24.800 get the youths back to where they were supposed to be. 56 00:02:24.840 --> 00:02:27.120 So I'm in my mind thinking, kay, he's playing coy. 57 00:02:28.479 --> 00:02:30.719 But the fact that he responded to my text about 58 00:02:30.800 --> 00:02:35.759 the about the topic, it was encouraging. So Jeff and 59 00:02:35.759 --> 00:02:37.520 I are both like, I think there's going to be helped. 60 00:02:37.560 --> 00:02:40.280 Alex plays his cards really close. You know, he's not 61 00:02:40.360 --> 00:02:43.199 like me, Spence. He doesn't throw up all over himself 62 00:02:43.240 --> 00:02:46.520 and tell everybody every aspect of their life. That's probably 63 00:02:47.039 --> 00:02:49.919 you know, like like Lindsay said, less is more, that's 64 00:02:49.919 --> 00:02:53.199 probably a good thing that he does, you know, not 65 00:02:53.360 --> 00:02:56.479 just flinging random things out there. But when I heard 66 00:02:56.560 --> 00:03:00.840 he actually took the job, Spence, nothing but excit nothing 67 00:03:00.879 --> 00:03:06.360 but I would just say anticipation in regard to this 68 00:03:06.439 --> 00:03:09.639 program going the right track. Is he going to come 69 00:03:09.639 --> 00:03:12.719 in and and absolutely turn it all around overnight. No, 70 00:03:12.879 --> 00:03:15.840 but he is going to be the best option that 71 00:03:15.919 --> 00:03:18.000 they could have gotten for sure. I mean, I don't 72 00:03:18.039 --> 00:03:19.560 know who else I would choose other than him. 73 00:03:20.199 --> 00:03:21.759 So let's dig into a couple of things here. 74 00:03:21.840 --> 00:03:24.560 First, I wanted to get your thoughts on Craig, as 75 00:03:24.680 --> 00:03:27.879 Craig has been, uh you know, given the door and 76 00:03:28.240 --> 00:03:31.759 relieved of his duties after just you know, almost almost 77 00:03:31.800 --> 00:03:34.120 five years, just under four years, six years on his deal. 78 00:03:34.599 --> 00:03:36.879 So Craig walks away with a little change. He's gonna 79 00:03:36.919 --> 00:03:39.840 he's got a five million dollar parachute. So of course 80 00:03:40.159 --> 00:03:42.039 he does not have to take a job at Maverick 81 00:03:42.080 --> 00:03:42.800 anytime soon. 82 00:03:42.879 --> 00:03:44.599 He'll be fine for a minute. 83 00:03:45.120 --> 00:03:48.960 Why do you think this ultimately with Craig did not work? Now, 84 00:03:49.560 --> 00:03:51.479 I know you're down south. So did you have a 85 00:03:51.560 --> 00:03:54.280 chance to hear Josh Grant on my show by chance? 86 00:03:55.159 --> 00:03:58.199 Yes? Yes, Okay, several people sent that to me. 87 00:03:58.319 --> 00:04:00.439 Okay, so give me, give me, give me your thought that. 88 00:04:00.479 --> 00:04:03.639 Bright Oh, Josh is a battling idiot. He doesn't know 89 00:04:03.680 --> 00:04:07.719 what he's talking about. I'm just kidding. I assume he's listening. Josh, 90 00:04:07.840 --> 00:04:10.039 Josh is a good friend. No, there was. There was 91 00:04:10.080 --> 00:04:12.719 definitely some key spots to what he was talking about 92 00:04:12.759 --> 00:04:15.120 with with Craig, and Josh has a great pulse on 93 00:04:15.159 --> 00:04:20.079 the program. By the way, Josh dated my oldest sister, Expand, 94 00:04:20.120 --> 00:04:22.920 so he came to our house picked her up. We 95 00:04:23.000 --> 00:04:24.519 all thought he was the greatest thing in the world 96 00:04:24.560 --> 00:04:27.720 because he was the superstar of Utah. So the so 97 00:04:27.839 --> 00:04:31.000 Josh and his brothers, we all go way back. Listen, 98 00:04:31.199 --> 00:04:33.920 Craig had an awesome this is what's hard. He has 99 00:04:33.959 --> 00:04:37.000 that awesome season at Utah State, but he also had, 100 00:04:37.079 --> 00:04:39.079 you know, one of the best shot blockers in the country. 101 00:04:39.519 --> 00:04:42.680 He had Sam Merrill. I think for a minute with 102 00:04:42.759 --> 00:04:45.319 Craig a great coach. He was a fine coach. He 103 00:04:45.360 --> 00:04:47.439 was a good man, someone I would have my son 104 00:04:47.519 --> 00:04:51.079 played for. Worked hard, but but you know, you got 105 00:04:51.120 --> 00:04:53.160 to have players, and I think just at the end 106 00:04:53.160 --> 00:04:54.839 of the day, you got to get the right players. 107 00:04:54.879 --> 00:04:57.639 And I remember hearing I Josh talked a lot about 108 00:04:57.639 --> 00:05:00.839 getting the best players in Utah and kind of that 109 00:05:00.920 --> 00:05:04.399 recipe like what we had in his air in my air, well, 110 00:05:04.800 --> 00:05:07.360 I agree with that to a degree, like, look, that's 111 00:05:07.360 --> 00:05:09.800 going to win you whack championships in Mount West Championships. 112 00:05:09.839 --> 00:05:12.759 That's not winning you a Big twelve championship. Alex Jenson's 113 00:05:12.800 --> 00:05:15.000 got to go out and get players. And we all 114 00:05:15.040 --> 00:05:17.199 know to get players in today's world is not about 115 00:05:17.240 --> 00:05:19.759 selling the coach and the opportunity of Salt Lake City. 116 00:05:20.199 --> 00:05:23.959 It's freaking changing money. Let's go. You gotta get some money. 117 00:05:23.959 --> 00:05:27.959 You gotta simnil donors in there. You freaking think the 118 00:05:28.040 --> 00:05:29.720 number one player in the country is going to just 119 00:05:29.759 --> 00:05:33.279 go down and PLoP into provo. No, you got to 120 00:05:33.279 --> 00:05:35.639 get money. Now. We got to get a couple of 121 00:05:35.639 --> 00:05:38.079 big time players, one or two, kind of like we 122 00:05:38.120 --> 00:05:41.399 did with Andre Miller, Mike Doliak, and then you fill 123 00:05:41.480 --> 00:05:44.360 in some in state guys, the Britton Johnsons, Jeff Johnson's, 124 00:05:44.360 --> 00:05:48.199 the Josh Grants, Alex Jensen's, and then you have a 125 00:05:48.319 --> 00:05:52.480 coach that's got a brilliant mind like Majeris did. Alex 126 00:05:52.560 --> 00:05:56.120 Jenson's is that coach. And now we're talking. Now we're 127 00:05:56.160 --> 00:05:58.519 rocking and rolling, But think about it. To get an 128 00:05:58.560 --> 00:06:01.399 Andre Miller or a Mike dol Or to keep those 129 00:06:01.399 --> 00:06:04.120 two guys like say, you know they made their names here, right, 130 00:06:04.480 --> 00:06:06.560 and then you keep them for year two, year three, 131 00:06:06.879 --> 00:06:08.920 in today's world. Yeah, you're gonna have to pay up. 132 00:06:09.079 --> 00:06:12.480 Otherwise Andre would have transferred to Texas and Mike would 133 00:06:12.480 --> 00:06:14.439 have transferred to Oregon and they both would have made 134 00:06:14.439 --> 00:06:18.120 a million dollars. So let's just not kid ourselves. The 135 00:06:18.199 --> 00:06:20.120 name of the game is someone's gonna have to like 136 00:06:20.199 --> 00:06:21.879 donate some money or there's gonna have to be a 137 00:06:21.879 --> 00:06:24.600 big pay where you get one or two players, and 138 00:06:24.600 --> 00:06:27.240 then Alex will get some good Utah guys and he'll 139 00:06:27.240 --> 00:06:29.279 take care of the rest with his brilliant coaching and 140 00:06:29.319 --> 00:06:32.439 his preparation and his exes and O's and is his 141 00:06:32.519 --> 00:06:34.519 ability to find guys around him to go out and 142 00:06:34.560 --> 00:06:37.519 recruit the right people like like mcjeri's got Jutty and 143 00:06:37.560 --> 00:06:42.000 Donnie to get to get the players. So that's kind 144 00:06:42.000 --> 00:06:43.519 of its kind of my mind, that's kind of what 145 00:06:43.560 --> 00:06:46.000 I'm thinking. I mean, Josh kind of said that. But 146 00:06:46.040 --> 00:06:48.639 other than I think Josh mentioned that he would rely 147 00:06:48.720 --> 00:06:52.040 heavily on getting the in state guys, and I think 148 00:06:52.040 --> 00:06:54.000 they're going to be our second tier guys we need 149 00:06:54.040 --> 00:06:54.279 to get. 150 00:06:54.600 --> 00:06:55.600 So a couple of things. 151 00:06:56.680 --> 00:07:00.240 First of all, when it comes to and I was 152 00:07:00.240 --> 00:07:03.519 paraphrasing you about the past couple of weeks, because I 153 00:07:03.519 --> 00:07:09.199 can remember oftentimes you sharing stories about coach Majeris ripping 154 00:07:09.240 --> 00:07:12.519 into this player or that player, or you quite frankly, 155 00:07:13.079 --> 00:07:16.680 but never really did with Alex. Am I remembering that correctly, 156 00:07:16.720 --> 00:07:21.199 and then attendant to that tell us anecdotally some of 157 00:07:21.199 --> 00:07:24.399 the things that Rick used to share about Alex Jensen. 158 00:07:24.439 --> 00:07:26.480 He's on the record saying that Alex was one of 159 00:07:26.519 --> 00:07:29.560 the smartest players he ever coached. But I seem to 160 00:07:29.600 --> 00:07:33.360 remember oftentimes, Britt you sharing a lot of stories about 161 00:07:33.399 --> 00:07:36.319 that relationship. And obviously Alex went on to coach with 162 00:07:36.439 --> 00:07:38.199 Rick before Rick passed away, So I wanted to get 163 00:07:38.240 --> 00:07:38.879 your thoughts on that. 164 00:07:39.839 --> 00:07:44.199 Yeah, I specifically remember Alex spends like on that final 165 00:07:44.240 --> 00:07:48.240 four run during the year, especially in the tournament, grabbing 166 00:07:48.319 --> 00:07:51.920 my jersey, screaming in my face, the right spots to 167 00:07:51.959 --> 00:07:55.160 be on the floor, the right way to position myself, 168 00:07:55.199 --> 00:07:57.399 the way to play somebody. I remember him behind me 169 00:07:57.519 --> 00:08:01.680 screaming like force some left force, the right timeouts. We'd 170 00:08:01.680 --> 00:08:03.639 walk out of the timeouts, he'd come over and grab me, 171 00:08:03.839 --> 00:08:07.639 Andre everybody and explain things. He was a coach from 172 00:08:07.879 --> 00:08:11.160 you know, he probably started having a coaching mentality was 173 00:08:11.160 --> 00:08:13.439 five years old. He just he was a player's coach 174 00:08:13.959 --> 00:08:16.199 and he knew how to win. I mean, listen, coach 175 00:08:16.240 --> 00:08:19.639 mcjaris did all the preparation stuff, right, he was. He 176 00:08:19.800 --> 00:08:24.920 was the ultimate preparation. Get us all in the hotel ballroom. 177 00:08:25.399 --> 00:08:28.120 He had charts on the walls of every single player 178 00:08:28.160 --> 00:08:30.879 their tendencies. He had his assistant coaches doing that, and 179 00:08:30.920 --> 00:08:33.679 then coach would do a really good job of, you know, 180 00:08:33.799 --> 00:08:36.320 laying it out, sort of teaching it to us. But 181 00:08:36.360 --> 00:08:39.480 the execution of it all came from Alex. He was 182 00:08:39.519 --> 00:08:41.799 the one, and Drew Hansen as well. You know, we 183 00:08:42.200 --> 00:08:44.200 just had smart players on our team, but Alex was 184 00:08:44.240 --> 00:08:47.600 the leader of that. I look at that and kind 185 00:08:47.600 --> 00:08:50.799 of like football term Spence, like that that smart quarterback 186 00:08:50.840 --> 00:08:53.559 that can become a head coach one day, right, I mean, 187 00:08:54.000 --> 00:08:57.320 your energetic, raw rack kind of dufices like me on 188 00:08:57.360 --> 00:08:59.840 the court were not born to be coaches. Right. It's 189 00:08:59.840 --> 00:09:02.480 like Mike Singletary who tried to coach the forty nine ers. 190 00:09:03.200 --> 00:09:05.279 You look at the guy, he would smash anybody in 191 00:09:05.279 --> 00:09:07.080 front of him, but extras and o's and coaches he 192 00:09:07.360 --> 00:09:11.159 didn't exactly work well. Alex just was was thinking like 193 00:09:11.200 --> 00:09:13.039 a coach as a player, and then he got his 194 00:09:13.159 --> 00:09:16.600 chance to coach, you know, in the in the G League. 195 00:09:16.639 --> 00:09:19.320 He's an assistant coach for Saint Louis. He's an assistant coach 196 00:09:19.320 --> 00:09:23.440 at the Jazz. He developed Rudy Gobert. He taught Rudy 197 00:09:23.440 --> 00:09:26.559 Gobert the game, and and and then sometimes Spence, it's 198 00:09:26.639 --> 00:09:29.240 just when you're sitting down and having conversations with someone 199 00:09:29.919 --> 00:09:32.519 and you're you're listening the way that the game kind 200 00:09:32.519 --> 00:09:34.840 of plays out in their mind, and you're like, holy crap, 201 00:09:34.960 --> 00:09:37.559 that's something that I would have never thought of. You know, 202 00:09:37.720 --> 00:09:40.279 like if I'm playing this team, I would pick up 203 00:09:40.399 --> 00:09:42.840 their point guard with my six nine guy who's athletic, 204 00:09:42.919 --> 00:09:45.399 just to disrupt the point guard in his fast break 205 00:09:45.399 --> 00:09:47.600 play or something like that. Alex would just say things 206 00:09:48.039 --> 00:09:51.200 about games and situations, and you're like, my gosh, that's 207 00:09:51.200 --> 00:09:54.559 actually really smart. So along with what he learned from 208 00:09:54.600 --> 00:09:56.759 Rick and preparing for games, that just his kind of 209 00:09:56.799 --> 00:10:00.480 brilliant extra notice. He's he's going to be phenomenal, I 210 00:10:00.519 --> 00:10:01.600 think for Utah. 211 00:10:01.639 --> 00:10:04.879 So your points about the collective are very well taken. 212 00:10:05.159 --> 00:10:07.360 And I said this a couple of times over the 213 00:10:07.360 --> 00:10:09.559 past few weeks as the search was kind of going on, 214 00:10:10.279 --> 00:10:14.919 whether it's Alex, whether it's Richard Patino, whether you resurrect 215 00:10:15.000 --> 00:10:17.399 Rick macjeris, whoever it is, is going to ask Mark 216 00:10:17.440 --> 00:10:21.320 Harland and Taylor Randall simply the same question. Where are 217 00:10:21.320 --> 00:10:26.080 we at economically? What is the financial infrastructure of this program? 218 00:10:26.159 --> 00:10:28.960 Can I keep up with not just the schools in 219 00:10:28.960 --> 00:10:31.799 the Big twelve, but every school across America, not the 220 00:10:31.879 --> 00:10:34.200 least of which Britt is the school about forty miles 221 00:10:34.200 --> 00:10:38.159 down south that this year has two seven figure players 222 00:10:38.720 --> 00:10:41.480 on their roster and next year is paying aj Debants 223 00:10:41.559 --> 00:10:45.240 is seven mil for five months of basketball. So as 224 00:10:45.279 --> 00:10:48.240 you talk to you know, your former teammates and other 225 00:10:48.720 --> 00:10:51.720 people connected to the program, what is I guess the 226 00:10:51.720 --> 00:10:54.600 way I'll ask you, Britt is what's the confidence level 227 00:10:54.679 --> 00:10:58.200 they're right now? The Crimson Collective or whatever UTAH is 228 00:10:58.200 --> 00:11:01.080 going to utilize for the economic health of the program 229 00:11:01.159 --> 00:11:03.120 is where it needs to be to compete, because it 230 00:11:03.159 --> 00:11:05.679 doesn't matter how good your coach is, Like, there's no 231 00:11:05.799 --> 00:11:08.360 such thing as a great coach that did not have 232 00:11:08.399 --> 00:11:11.120 great players. You have to have talents, and I don't 233 00:11:11.159 --> 00:11:13.440 think Craig had enough talent quite frankly, but that's a 234 00:11:13.440 --> 00:11:18.360 different topic. There is there optimism and confidence in the 235 00:11:18.399 --> 00:11:20.600 alumni base that this school is where it needs to 236 00:11:20.600 --> 00:11:22.879 be to support its basketball program financially. 237 00:11:23.879 --> 00:11:26.759 Yeah, No, it's a great it's a great question. I 238 00:11:26.799 --> 00:11:29.639 don't know. I don't know numbers on the budget, but 239 00:11:29.879 --> 00:11:33.320 and I just know that there needs to be, obviously, 240 00:11:33.360 --> 00:11:35.519 something brought to the table to give Alex something to 241 00:11:35.559 --> 00:11:37.759 work with, because you're absolutely right, Alex can be as 242 00:11:37.759 --> 00:11:41.080 good of a coach as we possibly can get. He is, 243 00:11:41.919 --> 00:11:44.480 but you know, but the but the players got to 244 00:11:44.519 --> 00:11:46.759 be able to utilize the coaching or be talented. And 245 00:11:46.840 --> 00:11:50.600 it's it's like it's like I've always said, either you 246 00:11:50.720 --> 00:11:53.000 or somebody I said, you can give Stevie Wonder a corvette, 247 00:11:53.000 --> 00:11:55.519 doesn't mean he can drive it. Right, So you can 248 00:11:55.559 --> 00:11:58.679 give Alex Jensen and all of his amazing coaching to 249 00:11:58.720 --> 00:12:00.519 a bunch of crappy players, doesn't mean they're gonna be 250 00:12:00.519 --> 00:12:03.000 able to utilize it. You got to get good players. 251 00:12:03.120 --> 00:12:06.399 And I don't think he needs I don't think Alex 252 00:12:06.480 --> 00:12:09.399 needs six, seven, eight phenomenal players. I think he needs 253 00:12:09.399 --> 00:12:12.279 two to three. And honestly, that's what Majerius did. That 254 00:12:12.399 --> 00:12:15.120 was his and that was his. Like I said earlier, Zambo, 255 00:12:15.559 --> 00:12:19.559 he had three NBA guys, maybe a fourth in me 256 00:12:19.639 --> 00:12:21.960 who dipped his toes in the NBA waters, and a 257 00:12:22.000 --> 00:12:24.960 fifth with Alex himself a little bit, but you get 258 00:12:25.000 --> 00:12:27.480 three just absolute studs. And we've got to find a way. 259 00:12:28.360 --> 00:12:31.120 The university has to find a way to give Alex, 260 00:12:31.679 --> 00:12:34.759 you know, a budget to do that. And I think again, 261 00:12:35.559 --> 00:12:37.600 you know, everyone can say they're a good coach, but 262 00:12:37.720 --> 00:12:40.080 there really are just some that get the game at 263 00:12:40.080 --> 00:12:43.879 an intelligent level. I apologize I keep using football terminology, 264 00:12:43.879 --> 00:12:45.879 but there's just some of those special coaches out there 265 00:12:45.919 --> 00:12:49.840 right that you see that know how to take whatever 266 00:12:49.960 --> 00:12:53.679 roster they have a Nick Saban right and turn it 267 00:12:53.720 --> 00:12:56.399 into a championship caliber team because it's not the Texas. 268 00:12:56.399 --> 00:13:00.159 And though that, it's culture as well, and you you 269 00:13:00.519 --> 00:13:03.320 create a culture that's like when you come into this practice, 270 00:13:03.799 --> 00:13:06.039 no one's better than the other person. Everyone treats each 271 00:13:06.080 --> 00:13:08.039 other the same, everyone works just as hard as the 272 00:13:08.080 --> 00:13:10.399 other person. You know, I'll never forget. I think it 273 00:13:10.480 --> 00:13:14.159 was you and I were either questioning or asking questions 274 00:13:14.159 --> 00:13:16.679 to coach Papovich or we were listening to David Locke 275 00:13:16.720 --> 00:13:20.320 asking him questions, and Papovich said something that I'll never forget. 276 00:13:20.399 --> 00:13:23.000 He said, I can yell at Tim Duncan the same 277 00:13:23.039 --> 00:13:25.399 way I can yell at a rookie. And that's culture 278 00:13:25.480 --> 00:13:28.679 that he created there at the Spurs that made them 279 00:13:28.720 --> 00:13:32.840 such a winning franchise forever, and Matteis created that right, 280 00:13:33.480 --> 00:13:35.879 winning coaches create that, That's what Alex will be able 281 00:13:35.960 --> 00:13:40.240 to create. So again, three to if you can get 282 00:13:40.279 --> 00:13:43.559 four yeah studs, but the rest of them, I think 283 00:13:43.679 --> 00:13:46.080 he'll be able to recruit players from Utah or the 284 00:13:46.120 --> 00:13:50.679 Mountain West area and just make up for what he 285 00:13:50.720 --> 00:13:53.879 doesn't have in a depth of seven players with really 286 00:13:53.879 --> 00:13:58.000 good coaching with team basketball, you know. So I hope 287 00:13:58.000 --> 00:14:00.320 Spans and I believe that they're capable of doing it, 288 00:14:00.360 --> 00:14:02.279 that they can come up with a budget to take 289 00:14:02.320 --> 00:14:04.039 care of, you know, some of those big stars. It 290 00:14:04.159 --> 00:14:07.639 might not happen next year, right, but I think if 291 00:14:07.679 --> 00:14:09.759 you give Alex a chance to prove himself and he 292 00:14:09.759 --> 00:14:11.879 brings in some awesome assistance that can go out there 293 00:14:11.879 --> 00:14:14.759 and find the right players, I think it's doable. 294 00:14:15.279 --> 00:14:17.960 All right, let me move in this direction, because you know, 295 00:14:18.039 --> 00:14:22.759 I can remember talking with you and some other alums 296 00:14:24.039 --> 00:14:28.159 as the Larry Kroscoviac era was kind of unfolding, and 297 00:14:28.240 --> 00:14:29.840 it felt like there were I don't want to speak 298 00:14:29.840 --> 00:14:31.240 for you, so I'm just gonna ask the questions and 299 00:14:31.279 --> 00:14:33.080 give you the space. It felt like there were maybe 300 00:14:33.080 --> 00:14:37.759 some alums that didn't feel like Larry was embracing you know, 301 00:14:37.840 --> 00:14:41.600 that element of what Utah basketball is. I don't fully recall, 302 00:14:41.639 --> 00:14:44.159 but I'm bringing it up because then I'm gonna play 303 00:14:44.159 --> 00:14:46.679 Devil's advocate here a little bit, britt and then again, 304 00:14:46.720 --> 00:14:48.519 I'm just gonna lay back and give you the space. 305 00:14:49.039 --> 00:14:52.720 Because when I add josh On, he referenced that a 306 00:14:52.759 --> 00:14:56.720 lot of alums attempted to contact Craig during the four 307 00:14:56.799 --> 00:15:02.000 years and he wasn't necessarily amenable to those connections. Paraphrasing 308 00:15:02.039 --> 00:15:04.279 a bit. You can go listen to the Josh Grant 309 00:15:04.320 --> 00:15:07.720 interview up on our podcast page. And look, while I 310 00:15:08.000 --> 00:15:10.960 look as much as anybody I respect and appreciate the 311 00:15:11.000 --> 00:15:14.480 history of Utah basketball and guys like you and that 312 00:15:14.559 --> 00:15:16.679 team that was around when I was in school with 313 00:15:16.720 --> 00:15:20.200 you as your peer, I don't know that it really 314 00:15:20.279 --> 00:15:23.200 is the job of the head coach to answer every 315 00:15:23.240 --> 00:15:25.600 alumni phone call when you have a job to do. 316 00:15:26.000 --> 00:15:29.080 So to be clear, I think there is a role 317 00:15:29.679 --> 00:15:32.720 for past utes, certainly. I mean now that Alex is 318 00:15:32.759 --> 00:15:35.279 the coach, I'm sure it will change. But what's fair 319 00:15:35.320 --> 00:15:39.720 to say about what portion of the job description says 320 00:15:40.360 --> 00:15:42.720 that that's something that you need to do And how 321 00:15:42.720 --> 00:15:46.600 do you balance that line, Britt between appeasing the alums 322 00:15:46.679 --> 00:15:48.200 and also doing your job. 323 00:15:48.279 --> 00:15:49.039 Does that make sense? 324 00:15:49.759 --> 00:15:52.039 Yeah, it's a good question. Every I feel like every 325 00:15:52.080 --> 00:15:56.080 alumni former player feels like they're not getting treated like 326 00:15:56.240 --> 00:15:59.320 good enough. I mean, I remember I was mentored by 327 00:15:59.360 --> 00:16:01.559 some dude in State when I was in the D League, 328 00:16:01.559 --> 00:16:04.279 and he was complaining to me the NC State wasn't 329 00:16:04.279 --> 00:16:06.039 treating him good enough. And yet he and I sat 330 00:16:06.080 --> 00:16:08.200 on the front row of an NC State North Carolina 331 00:16:08.600 --> 00:16:10.840 basketball game, and I'm looking around, like, what are you 332 00:16:10.879 --> 00:16:16.240 complaining about? You know, I've heard BYU football players, you know, 333 00:16:16.320 --> 00:16:18.480 complain that they're not I kind of feel like that 334 00:16:18.480 --> 00:16:20.919 it's just something we all like, if we're not getting 335 00:16:20.960 --> 00:16:23.279 all the gear we want and not being treated with 336 00:16:23.360 --> 00:16:26.080 like front row tickets, we all just bitch and complain. 337 00:16:26.679 --> 00:16:28.600 I think it's kind of just in our DNA. So, 338 00:16:29.240 --> 00:16:31.600 I mean, Josh might be right about some stuff, but 339 00:16:31.639 --> 00:16:36.279 every time I called Craig, he was nice, invited me 340 00:16:36.320 --> 00:16:39.960 to practice, had me speak to the team. But I'm 341 00:16:39.960 --> 00:16:43.039 a real likable guy and so people really liked having 342 00:16:43.080 --> 00:16:46.440 me around. Something difference there. And Josh I'm like, he 343 00:16:47.240 --> 00:16:48.840 you know, I don't know if i'd invite him to 344 00:16:48.840 --> 00:16:51.320 the dinner table. No, I'm kidding. If Josh is listening, 345 00:16:51.320 --> 00:16:54.799 he's gonna hate my guts listen. I just think everyone 346 00:16:54.919 --> 00:16:57.320 kind of gets that that fill and that mentality like 347 00:16:57.360 --> 00:17:00.320 I should be being treated better and who knows, right. 348 00:17:00.399 --> 00:17:04.119 Maybe maybe for Craig because the team wasn't doing that great, 349 00:17:04.559 --> 00:17:06.200 it was hard for him to have some of the 350 00:17:06.519 --> 00:17:10.160 former superstars like Josh Grant around. Maybe for him and 351 00:17:10.160 --> 00:17:12.240 his staff, it just felt like almost like they were 352 00:17:12.319 --> 00:17:13.759 letting us down. So it's like, what do you think 353 00:17:13.759 --> 00:17:15.960 they're gonna do? Call us up and invite us over 354 00:17:16.039 --> 00:17:21.519 for breakfast every morning? Probably not, you know. I mean, look, 355 00:17:21.680 --> 00:17:24.920 winning solves everything. It even solves like all this former 356 00:17:24.960 --> 00:17:28.279 alumni guys boohoone that we're not getting good enough treatment 357 00:17:28.359 --> 00:17:30.400 if the if the program is winning, the doors are 358 00:17:30.440 --> 00:17:32.920 open and everyone they want everyone to practice. They want 359 00:17:32.960 --> 00:17:35.359 everyone a part of it, But that would just be 360 00:17:35.440 --> 00:17:38.079 My guess is that Craig was probably not feeling like 361 00:17:38.119 --> 00:17:40.960 all that great and and and you know, Josh, I know, 362 00:17:41.039 --> 00:17:44.279 has a good a good relationship with Alex, and so 363 00:17:45.279 --> 00:17:47.759 maybe they're maybe he'll be inviting Josh in every once 364 00:17:47.799 --> 00:17:50.000 in a while into practice. I don't know what he wants, 365 00:17:50.000 --> 00:17:53.680 but Alex is gonna bring his own team, his own, 366 00:17:53.839 --> 00:17:57.200 you know, his own coaching staff that he wants. I 367 00:17:57.279 --> 00:17:59.759 keep hearing rumor Spence that he might get Andre Miller. 368 00:17:59.799 --> 00:18:01.880 I think it would be a smart move to do that, 369 00:18:02.000 --> 00:18:05.839 But I don't know right until you're like in that 370 00:18:05.960 --> 00:18:09.640 coaching world and you're making all those daily decisions and 371 00:18:09.720 --> 00:18:12.160 phone calls and you're in the trenches the bus trips, 372 00:18:12.240 --> 00:18:14.880 the plane trips, the hotel trips, and you're around the 373 00:18:14.920 --> 00:18:18.160 personalities you know that are going to help you win. 374 00:18:18.640 --> 00:18:21.680 Who knows, right, So I actually have no idea who 375 00:18:21.759 --> 00:18:23.720 Alex is going to bring on board. I mean, I've 376 00:18:23.720 --> 00:18:25.839 had people texting me tell outs to bring you in. 377 00:18:25.880 --> 00:18:28.359 I'm like, yeah, I've been working for General Motors for 378 00:18:28.400 --> 00:18:30.440 the last nine years. In the car world, He's going 379 00:18:30.519 --> 00:18:32.519 to bring me in, what the hell am I going 380 00:18:32.599 --> 00:18:35.039 to tell all these players your tires look like they 381 00:18:35.240 --> 00:18:38.680 they have bad tread on them. Like, I'm like, people 382 00:18:38.680 --> 00:18:40.839 are so funny, you should call you to be an assistant. 383 00:18:40.839 --> 00:18:43.119 I'm like, good, hell, no, he's not going to call 384 00:18:43.160 --> 00:18:44.559 me to be an assistant if I'm going to go 385 00:18:44.680 --> 00:18:45.200 cheer him on. 386 00:18:46.200 --> 00:18:48.920 You know, would you be interested? For real? 387 00:18:48.960 --> 00:18:51.880 Would you be interested in being an assistant coach for Alex? 388 00:18:52.839 --> 00:18:55.559 No? I would be flattered if he asked me, But no, 389 00:18:55.599 --> 00:18:57.720 I would not be interested. I just want him to 390 00:18:57.720 --> 00:19:00.720 do well. I want the university and I just want 391 00:19:00.759 --> 00:19:02.920 to quit. I want to keep on complaining as a 392 00:19:02.960 --> 00:19:04.839 former player that I'm not getting enough gear. 393 00:19:06.240 --> 00:19:09.359 And look, I don't mean to be disrespectful, right, Like, 394 00:19:10.279 --> 00:19:13.279 by the way, can you imagine? And I told Josh 395 00:19:13.319 --> 00:19:15.960 this when we joined the show for our younger youth 396 00:19:16.079 --> 00:19:18.640 fans who didn't get to see him play. If Josh 397 00:19:18.720 --> 00:19:20.880 Grant was born like ten or fifteen years later, he 398 00:19:20.880 --> 00:19:22.480 would have been a fifteen year on BA guy. 399 00:19:23.400 --> 00:19:26.039 Yeah. Probably, Yeah, I. 400 00:19:26.160 --> 00:19:28.200 Know I always say that about you too. I don't 401 00:19:28.240 --> 00:19:28.880