Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian is assembling an entirely new defensive staff.
In 2020, cornerbacks coach Jay Valai worked under defensive coordinator Chris Ash and head coach Tom Herman. Much like the majority of Herman’s staff, he’ll be continuing his coaching career elsewhere after just one season on the Forty Acres.
Valai recently made it clear that he would not be retained on Sarkisian’s staff in a tweet goodbye to Texas players, but it didn’t take him long to find a new home.
On Tuesday night, Zach Barnett of FootballScoop reported that Valai is expected to be hired by the University of Houston in the same role. Although the hire is not complete, Barnett notes that Valai is in Houston at this time.
Houston is planning to hire former Texas cornerbacks coach Jay Valai, sources tell @FootballScoop.https://t.co/U5z9Wqb9ol
— Zach Barnett (@zach_barnett) January 20, 2021
Houston recently promoted safeties coach Doug Belk to defensive coordinator, Valai is expected to fill the coaching vacancy with the defensive backs.
Valai is a Texas native who had a one-year stint as the cornerbacks coach at Rutgers under Chris Ash prior to following him to Texas. He also has experience coaching at the NFL level where he spent the 2018 season with the Kansas City Chiefs as a defensive quality control and assistant defensive backs coach.