ST. LOUIS - Alex Jensen, who has spent the previous four seasons on Rick Majerus' men's basketball staff at Saint Louis University, has been named head coach of the new Canton NBA Development League franchise, the organization announced today.

"Al Jensen indicated to me that he wanted to go in a different direction with his career and pursue this NBA opportunity presented by the Cleveland Cavaliers to coach for Canton," Majerus said. "Al did a great job for us. He is an outstanding coach and will certainly be missed, but you have to seize the opportunity when it's available. The team, the Billiken basketball community and I wish him success and thank him for the fantastic job he did for us."

Jensen, noted for his focus on post play and defense, joined the Billiken staff in 2006 as graduate assistant and was promoted to full-time assistant coach a year later. He played at the University of Utah under Majerus and played professionally in Europe and the Continental Basketball Association before entering the coaching profession.

The Cavaliers purchased the NBA D-League's New Mexico Thunderbirds in July and moved the organization to Canton. Currently unnamed, the Canton franchise is fully run by the Cleveland Cavaliers, making Cleveland one of five NBA teams to own and operate its NBA D-League affiliate.

A search for Jensen's successor has already begun.