Alabama hires ex-Texas assistant Valai as cornerbacks coach

<p>TUSCALOOSA, Ala. &mdash; National champion Alabama has hired former Texas assistant Jay Valai as cornerbacks coach.</p>
<p>Coach Nick Saban announced the hiring on Thursday of Valai, who spent last season in the same post for then-Longhorns coach Tom Herman.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>“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.”</p>
<p>Valai was a four-year letter winner at Wisconsin, where he captained the Badgers 2010 Rose Bowl team. Then he opened a sports performance training facility, working with NBA and NFL athletes, as well as high school students.</p>
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