Rutgers’ secondary will be coached by a pair of Chris Ash’s former players in 2019.

The Scarlet Knights will hire Kansas City Chiefs defensive quality control assistant Jay Valai as their new cornerbacks coach, according to ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg. Valai was a safety at Wisconsin from 2006-10, and Ash was the Badgers’ defensive backs coach for his final season. Valai joins Rutgers safeties coach and co-defensive coordinator Noah Joseph, who Ash also coached at their shared alma mater, Drake University.

Valai replaces Henry Baker, who was re-hired by Rutgers in December but left after two months to become the Giants’ assistant defensive backs coach. Valai will be Rutgers’ fourth cornerbacks coach in four years under Ash. Valai is a Texas native who worked as a private trainer before starting his coaching career as a defensive quality control assistant at Georgia in 2016-17. He then spent one season with the Chiefs.

Ash now has a full 10-man staff in place with three weeks to go before the start of spring practice. Rutgers will have four new assistants on staff after last year’s 1-11 finish. Valai joins new defensive coordinator/linebackers coach Andy Buh, offensive line coach Peter Rossomando and running backs coach Kolby Smith.

Rutgers has also shuffed responsibilities with two of its six returning assistants. Nunzio Campanile will handle tight ends this fall after coaching running backs last season while Vince Okruch has moved from tight ends to outside linebackers while still handling special teams duties.

James Kratch may be reached at jkratch@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JamesKratch. Find NJ.com Rutgers Football on Facebook.