Former Utah State QB Riley Jensen Named Aggies’ Mental Performance Coach

LOGAN, Utah – Former Utah State quarterback Riley Jensen will return to his alma mater to be the mental performance coach for the Aggies.

“We’re excited to announce the addition of Riley Jensen to our sports medicine staff,” said USU Associate Athletics Director for Sports Medicine Mike Williams. “His experience as a mental performance coach will be a valuable addition to our department. Having him on board will enhance our program and benefit our student-athletes. Working with former student-athletes is always rewarding for all of us at Utah State.”

Jensen will work with all Utah State coaches and student-athletes to teach the concepts of resilience, confidence, positivity, grit and personal mastery.

“Returning to my alma mater has stirred a considerable amount of emotions,” Jensen said. “It means a tremendous amount to Team Jensen, because my grandparents, my uncles and my parents all graduated from Utah State. We are all still very interested in the success of this wonderful institution.”

"Returning to my alma mater has stirred a considerable amount of emotions." – Riley Jensen

The former @USUFootball quarterback has been named a mental performance coach for the Aggies, and we are excited to have him on board!

📰: https://t.co/5Qwor285zJ#AggiesAllTheWay pic.twitter.com/4c4c9MIqLQ

— Utah State Athletics (@USUAthletics) October 6, 2020

The former USU quarterback currently works with USA Archery (Para), Westminster College basketball, Rowmark Ski Academy, Peak Ski Academy and Team X Alpine Professional Ski Team. He is also the lead mental performance coach for Real Salt Lake, Utah Royals RC and the Real Monarchs, and also tutors various athletes from the pro, collegiate and high school ranks as well as working with corporate athletes from the Utah Jazz ticket sales department.

Jensen earned first-team All-American honors as the quarter back at Snow College before transferring to Utah State. While in Ephraim, Jensen led the team to a 10-1 record and a No. 4 national ranking. He was later inducted into the Snow College Athletics Hall of Fame.

He earned a bachelor’s degree in French from Utah State in 1999 and completed his M.S. in sports and exercise from Utah, where he interned with the Utes’ football and tennis teams.

While playing for Utah State, Jensen enjoyed working with Richard “Doc” Gordin, who was an inspiration to his dream of working in the sport psychology field.

“As a student-athlete at USU, taking classes from Doc Gordin was so helpful and sparked a huge interest in the field of sport psychology for me,” Jensen said. “More importantly, he was a great help to my athletic performance at a young age on the tennis court. As I matured and pursued a degree in the field, it was very apparent that Dr. Rich Gordin is a pioneer and legend in the field of sport psychology. To replace a legend is always a little nerve-racking, but I hope to emulate Dr. Gordin in any way that I can.”