Jay Valai shows love to Oklahoma in heartfelt goodbye before heading to Bills

After much of Sooner Nation, including Oklahoma players and fans, already gave their salutes on social media, outgoing OU cornerbacks coach Jay Valai on Wednesday shared his heartfelt goodbye to the place he called him the last five years.

Valai is leaving the Sooners for the NFL to be the Buffalo Bills' new defensive backs coach as the franchise is under a new regime with head coach Joe Brady. Valai had been at OU since 2022 as part of head coach Brent Venables' original staff. First coming as co-defensive coordinator leading OU's pass defense while also serving as cornerbacks and nickelbacks coach, he was then given the title of assistant head coach for defense in 2024.

Before OU, Valai had coaching stops at Alabama, Georgia, Texas, Rutgers and a brief stint in the NFL with the Kansas City Chiefs under Andy Reid. He went into coaching after a stellar career as a defensive back at Wisconsin.

Valai transformed the Sooners' secondary and quickly developed young talent into big-time contributors, including returning starting cornerbacks Eli Bowen and Courtland Guillory. Both started as freshmen.

If Valai's impact wasn't evident on the field, it sure has been on social media as former players and fans have reacted to his departure. Why Valai made such an impression in Oklahoma was shown during the long goodbye he shared on Wednesday.

Jay Valai thanks Sooners after move to NFL

"Sooner Nation, Words cannot fully describe what you have meant to my family and I, and how much we appreciate you," Valai wrote. "In our time here, you all have truly made an impact on us that we won't forget! Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for the constant love & support. Norman will always be a special place to us, and it is because of the people here. Not just the support for this team, but the love and genuine interactions that you all have had with my family and I will not be forgotten."

Valai then went on to thank his players, the support staff, general manager Jim Nagy, and Brent Venables and the entire OU coaching staff as he listed many by name instead of a generic and broad thank you.

"Oklahoma will always be a special place, and it's the people who make it that way," Valai finished with.

The responses to Valai's goodbye again exemplified what he meant to the program.