Alabama hires ex-Texas assistant Valai as cornerbacks coach
February 18, 2021 GMT
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) National champion Alabama has hired former Texas assistant Jay Valai as cornerbacks coach.
Coach Nick Saban announced the hiring on Thursday of Valai, who spent last season in the same post for then-Longhorns coach Tom Herman.
Valai served as cornerbacks coach at Rutgers in 2019 after spending the 2018 season with the Kansas City Chiefs, serving as defensive quality control and assistant defensive backs coach.
“Jay is an excellent young coach who possesses outstanding knowledge and enthusiasm for the game,” Saban said in a statement. “He is a really good teacher and an outstanding recruiter who works tirelessly at his craft.”
Valai is replacing Karl Scott, who left to become the Minnesota Vikings defensive backs coach. Valai has worked under some great coaches, like Andy Reid and Kirby Smart; however, now he gets the chance to work under Nick Saban. ESPN reporter Adam Rittenberg first reported the news.
The Eagles got D.K.
The Eagles instead got D.K.
McDonald. This much according to Football Scoop, with a hat tip to @igglesnut.
While his exact role on Philadelphia’s coaching staff wasn’t specified, one would assume he’s replacing Jay Valai as the Eagles’ assistant defensive backs coach. Valai left Philly to join Nick Saban’s coaching staff in Alabama just one day after the Eagles officially announced his hiring.
McDonald has an obvious connection to new Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni. The two were on the same coaching staff at Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP) from 2006 through 2008. McDonald coached defensive backs while Sirianni coached wide receivers so their units obviously went up against each other.
Report: Philadelphia Eagles add defensive assistant from college ranks
Updated Feb 16, 2021;
Posted Feb 16, 2021
A general view of a Philadelphia Eagles helmet on the sidelines during the second half against the Washington Redskins at FedExField on December 30, 2018 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)Getty Images
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FootballScoop reported Monday the Eagles are hiring Iowa State assistant coach/safeties D.K. McDonald.
The report does not list a specified role for McDonald, but he would be a logical replacement for Jay Valai. Valai left for a job at Alabama over the weekend after getting announced as the assistant defensive backs coach on Sirianni’s initial staff. Valai’s hiring by the Eagles came less than a month after he was hired as an assistant at Houston.