Houston Football head coach Dana Holgorsen announced on Wednesday the addition of Jay Valai to the Cougars’ staff as the program’s cornerbacks coach.
Valai (pronounced vuh-LYE) brings both collegiate and NFL experience to Houston. He spent the 2020 season as the cornerbacks coach at Texas, helping the Longhorns to a berth in the Alamo Bowl.
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“Jay is a Texas native that has coached at the college level as well as in the NFL,” Holgorsen said. “He’s an energetic coach and a great recruiter that knows this state well. We are excited to welcome him and his family to Houston.”
A native of Euless, Texas, Valai was also the cornerbacks coach at Rutgers in 2019 and spent the 2018 season with the Kansas City Chiefs as the assistant defensive backs coach/defensive quality control.
“I’m proud and honored to be a part of the staff at the University of Houston,” Valai said. “I’m excited to get to work with Coach Holgorsen and the rest of our coaches. I feel blessed to represent this program and this university.”
Valai also worked as a defensive quality control coach at Georgia from 2016-17, helping the Bulldogs to the 2017 SEC Championship and an appearance in the 2017 CFP National Championship Game.
As a student-athlete, Valai was a four-year letterwinner at Wisconsin and was named a second-team All-Big Ten selection in 2008 and 2009. From 2011-16, Valai operated his own sports-performance facility and worked with professional athletes from the NBA and NFL, as a 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 three children – daughters, Jayla and Kenzli, and son, Jaxon.
JAY VALAI FILE
Coaching History
2021- Houston – Cornerbacks
2020 Texas – Cornerbacks
2019 Rutgers – Cornerbacks
2018 Kansas City Chiefs – Assistant Defensive Backs Coach/Quality Control
2016-17 Georgia – Defensive Quality Control
Bowl Games (4) Texas (1): 2020 Alamo Bowl Georgia (3): 2018 Rose Bowl, 2018 CFP National Championship, 2016 Liberty Bowl Playing Experience Wisconsin (2007-10)