The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Football
- Title:
- Cornerbacks
A Texas native and former all-conference defensive back who brings both collegiate and NFL coaching experience, Jay Valai (vuh-LYE) was named cornerbacks coach at Texas on Jan. 13, 2020.
A native of Euless, Texas, Valai served as cornerbacks coach last season at Rutgers where he was hired by Ash, who also coached Valai during his senior season of 2010 at Wisconsin when Ash was the defensive backs coach.
Valai went to Rutgers after spending the 2018 season with the Kansas City Chiefs, serving as defensive quality control and assistant defensive backs coach. He spent the 2016 and 2017 seasons at Georgia as defensive quality control coach, including the Bulldogs' trip to the National Championship.
Valai was a four-year letterwinner at Wisconsin, earning 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. He appeared in four bowl games with the Badgers, including winning the 2010 Big Ten Championship and advancing to the Rose Bowl that same season.
Following his playing career, Valai opened a sports-performance training facility. From 2011-16, Valai worked with professional athletes from the National Basketball Association (NBA) and National Football League (NFL), as well as high school student-athletes.
Valai lettered in football, basketball and track at Colleyville Heritage High School. As a senior in 2005, he was a PrepStar All-American, first-team All-District 5-5A selection and district special teams player of the year. A team captain that year, he was also named the team's co-defensive MVP and its special teams MVP.
Valai and his wife Courtney are the parents to two children – daughter, Jayla, and son, Jaxon.
