Jay Valai is the newest addition to the Alabama coaching staff, where he will coach the defensive backs replacing Karl Scott, who left Alabama to coach the defensive backs with the Minnesota Vikings. Valai played safety at Wisconsin from 2006-2010 and coached with the Georgia Bulldogs from 2016-2017, Kansas City Chiefs in 2018, Rutgers in 2019, Texas in 2020, then joined Houston in January of 2021, before leaving for the Philadelphia Eagles on February 1 of 2021, before ultimately landing on Nick Saban’s coaching staff in mid-February.
Valai is the fifth coach to be added to the coaching staff after Alabama’s perfect 2020 season. Bill O’Brien who was the former head coach with the Houston Texans will be the new offensive coordinator replacing Steve Sarkisian who took the head coaching position at Texas. Former head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars Doug Marrone will be the offensive line coach replacing Kyle Flood who left to coach the offensive line under Steve Sarkisian at Texas, Jay Graham replaces Jeff Banks as the tight ends and special teams coach, and Robert Gillespie will be the new running backs coach replacing Charles Huff who was named the head football coach at Marshall.
The Crimson Tide has also added a few new names to the support staff including Todd Watson, the former Tennessee director of operations, Shyheim Carter who played in the secondary for Alabama, Will Lawing, a former tight ends coach with the Houston Texans, and Manrey Saint Armour who was an offensive line coach at Georgia Southern.
