Notre Dame’s vacant defensive back gig has to be one of the most sought-after assistant coaching jobs (apart from OCs and DCs) in the whole of America. According to Bruce Straughan of ND football, 40 coaches have already inquired about the job in the 36 hours since Mike Mickens’ departure to the Baltimore Ravens. The standout and most intriguing name among them all was an ex–Nick Saban disciple.

“If I’m Notre Dame, I’m making a phone call to Oklahoma coach Jay Valai ASAP,” Notre Dame insider Bruce Straughan tweeted. “Don’t know if he would be interested, but if they could pull it off, it would be a home-run hire in my opinion. Either way, the DB room is loaded at Notre Dame, and it won’t be hard to convince a top coach at the position to come to ND.”

The Irish need a heavy hitter to keep their top-ranked secondary rolling, and Valai fits the bill perfectly. He’s already got a deep connection with Notre Dame’s defensive coordinator. Valai served as the cornerbacks coach under Chris Ash at the University of Texas (2020) and previously worked with him at Rutgers (2019).

During his time at Alabama in 2021, Valai proved he could handle any kind of pressure thrown his way. He came in as Karl Scott’s replacement. Working under Nick Saban, he coached a secondary that helped the Crimson Tide grab 15 interceptions and 45 pass breakups in a season. Despite allowing 218 yards per game, Valai managed to take that Bama DB unit to their last national championship win.

Right after the natty dub, the Oklahoma Sooners made a very irresistible offer for the Assistant Head Coach for Defense and Co-Defensive Coordinator gig. In 2023, Oklahoma’s pass defense ranked No. 1 in the nation for interceptions per game. Even as the Sooners moved into the SEC in 2024, his unit remained as good as ever, or even better.

This season, they finished nationally in the top 10 in scoring (15.5 points per game) and total defense. He also developed a superstar first-rounder in freshman Courtland Guillory.

A true college football fan recognizes that he partly contributes to the Sooners’ success in 2025. However, the possibility of him joining Chris Ash in South Bend might be too appealing to ignore. Moreover, it’s a promotion. Still, Notre Dame may need to offer much more than the usual market rate. It’s only a question of time before someone else takes him. So, why not the Irish?

With his track record of turning defensive back rooms into interception machines at every stop he’s ever been, the Irish fans are understandably excited and love the possibility of him taking over the secondary in 2026.

Valai might be the leading name on the search committee, but some candidates are his equals or even slightly better.

Top names for Notre Dame DB gig

One of the hottest names on the list is Corey Parker from Illinois. He’s coming off a monster season where his Illini defense held high-powered Tennessee to just 278 total yards and a season-low 121 passing yards in the 2025 Music City Bowl. Parker helped the Illinois tie their single-season wins record with 10 victories in his first year and has a reputation for turning 3-star recruits into high-impact players.

Another serious contender is Robert Steeples, who joined Wisconsin late in 2025. He has deep ties to Notre Dame players. He actually coached Irish cornerback Christian Gray in high school and led his De Smet team to a 14-0 record and a state title in 2019 while allowing only 9.1 points per game.

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If the Irish want a certified figure, they might even go for Kerry Coombs of Michigan. He has developed seven first-round NFL draft picks and worked with Notre Dame’s Chris Ash in the past, as well as at Cincinnati.

Finally, there’s Chris O’Leary, a name every Irish fan recognizes with fondness. He dedicated six years at Notre Dame and played a key role in Xavier Watts’ fantastic 2023 season. Watts topped the nation with 7 interceptions and proudly received the Nagurski Award.

In 2024, O’Leary was with the Los Angeles Chargers, helping Pro Bowler Derwin James shine, before happily accepting the defensive coordinator position at Western Michigan.

Doubt he’d leave his coordinator job to come back to his old stomping ground. Then again, anything can happen in college football.