Valai hired as UH assistant coach

Jay Valai has been hired as cornerbacks coach at Houston, coach Dana Holgorsen announced.

Valai (pronounced vuhLYE) spent the 2020 season as cornerbacks coach at Texas. A Euless native, Valai was previously cornerbacks coach at Rutgers in 2019 and assistant defensive backs coach/defensive quality control with Kansas City in 2018.

“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.”

Valai replaces Zac Etheridge, who left earlier this

month to become cornerbacks coach at his alma mater Auburn.

“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 was a four-year letter winner at Wisconsin and earned All-Big Ten second team honors as a defensive back in 2008 and 2009. For five years, Valai operated his own sports-performance facility, working with professional athletes from the NBA and NFL, as a well as high school.

In other news:

• Pac-12 commissioner Larry Scott is stepping down at the end of June, ending an 11-year tenure in which the conference landed a transformational billion dollar television deal but struggled to keep up with some of its Power Five peers when it came to revenue and exposure.

Sports Business Journal first reported the news Wednesday night and a person with knowledge of what was being called a mutual decision between

the 56-year-old Scott and university presidents who make up the league’s executive committee.

Scott’s current contract was set to expire June 2022, but he will not seek a new deal and instead finish out this academic year to assist with the transition to his successor.

“It’s been quite the amazing journey,“Scott told AP. “There’s a lot of change going on in college sports. There’s been a lot of change in our conference. I’m ready for the next chapter.”

Under Scott, the Pac-10 became the Pac-12 by adding Colorado and Utah to the conference in 2011 and created a football championship game.

The additions helped the conference secure a 12-year $3 billion media rights deal with Fox and ESPN that set the standard in the college sports market at the time.

• Texas junior cornerback Jalen Green has entered his name into the NCAA transfer portal. Green’s presence in the portal was confirmed by the Express-News.

Green was one of the state’s top recruits when he signed in 2018.

The Houston Heights

four-star was the No. 4 in-state prospect and No.6 cornerback in the Class of 2018, per the 247Sports composite.

After starting seven games as a sophomore, Green made just one start during the 2020 season. He totaled 14 tackles (11 solo), two pass breakups and one interception. Over three seasons he appeared in 30 games (nine starts) and recorded 47 total tackles with seven pass deflections.