Current position | |
---|---|
Title | Assistant head coach for defense/co-defensive coordinator/pass defense/cornerbacks and nickelbacks coach |
Team | Oklahoma |
Conference | SEC |
Annual salary | $750,000 |
Biographical details | |
Born | Euless, Texas |
Playing career | |
2006–2010 | Wisconsin |
Position(s) | Defensive Back |
Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
2016–2017 | Georgia (DQC) |
2018 | Kansas City Chiefs (DQC) |
2019 | Rutgers (CB) |
2020 | Texas (CB) |
2021 | Alabama (CB) |
2022–present | Oklahoma (CB/Co-DC) |
Accomplishments and honors | |
Awards | |
Jay Valai is an American football coach and former player. He is currently the assistant head coach for defense, co-defensive coordinator, and pass defense coach at the University of Oklahoma.
Valai was a four-year letter winner at Wisconsin as a defensive back where he served as a captain in 2010. [1] He earned second team All-Big Ten (coaches) honors in 2008 and 2009. He totaled 153 tackles, four forced fumbles and a pair of interceptions in 48 career games. [2]
Jay began his coaching career at Georgia as a defensive quality control coach, where he served in that position in 2016 and 2017. In 2018 he went to the NFL and coached under Andy Reid with the Chiefs as a defensive quality control coach. [3] In 2019 he returned to the college ranks as the cornerbacks coach for Rutgers. [4] In 2020 he went to his home state of Texas becoming the Longhorns cornerbacks coach. [5]
After Texas fired Tom Herman, Valai left the program and on January 20, 2021, he was announced as Houston's cornerbacks coach. [6] [7] However he would change his mind and on February 1 the Philadelphia Eagles announced that they hired Valai as cornerbacks coach for the inaugural staff for Nick Sirianni. [8] [9] However twelve days later Alabama announced that they hired Valai as the team's cornerbacks coach. [10] [11]
On January 11, 2022, Valai would move schools once again and become the co-defensive coordinator for Oklahoma. [12]
Valai and his wife Courtney have two daughters and a son.