Texas State Athletics

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Clay Jennings enters his first season with Texas State, joining the Bobcats as the defensive backs coach/passing game coordinator in February 2022.

A proven secondary coach for his entire career, Jennings joined Texas State after spending 18 of his first 26 years in coaching within the state of Texas, including five of the past six seasons. Prior to Texas State, Jennings was the secondary coach for UNLV in 2021.
 
In addition to his vast experience in Texas, Jennings has worked with some of the nation’s top defenses at several stops. At TCU, he was on the staff that piloted the No. 1 defense in the country for three straight years from 2008 to 2010. While with Arkansas in 2015, he was the defensive backs coach on a unit that finished 11th in the country in total and scoring defense. And at Texas Tech in 2018, he helped the Red Raiders finish top-40 in the nation in interceptions while four different defensive backs earned All-Big 12 honors.
 
A native of Waco, Texas, Jennings moved to San Marcos after spending the 2021 campaign at UNLV. The Runnin’ Rebels had two players finish in the top-40 in interceptions in his lone year with the program.
 
Jennings joined UNLV after spending two years at his alma mater, North Texas. As the Mean Green’s cornerbacks coach, he helped improve the team’s pass defense in his first year as the group held opponents to 222.3 passing yards per game and only allowed 14 touchdown passes – which were tied for the fewest in the conference and 10th fewest in FBS.
 
Before spending the 2019 and 2020 seasons at North Texas, Jennings spent single seasons at Texas Tech (2018), Houston (2017), and Texas (2016). With the Cougars, Jennings was the co-defensive coordinator and secondary coach while in Lubbock and Austin, he was the defensive backs coach.
 
At Texas Tech, the Red Raiders defensive backs intercepted 11 of the team’s 12 passes (ranked 40^th nationally). Redshirt freshman defensive back Adrian Frye led the team with five, and was named first team All-Big 12 by the conference and first team All-Big 12 by the Associated Press after recording 18 passes defended (13 pass break-ups). Meanwhile, defensive backs Vaughnte Dorsey, DaMarcus Fields and Jah’Shawn Johnson were each named All-Big 12 honorable mentions by the conference.
  
In 2017 at Houston, the Cougars ranked among the top defenses in the country in regards to scoring and interceptions. Houston ended the year with 15 interceptions – 14 by the secondary alone – to rank 23rd nationally in the category. The team also finished second in its conference with 23.8 points allowed per game.
 
Before his one-year stop at Texas in 2016, Jennings spent two seasons at Arkansas (2014-15). He helped build one of top defensive units in the country as the Razorbacks closed the 2015 campaign ranked 11th nationally in both scoring and total defense after allowing just 19.2 points and 323.4 yards per game. The Razorbacks even had seven of their top-10 tacklers come from Jennings’ defensive backs.
 
Arkansas greatly improved its passing defense in Jennings’ first season in 2014 as the Razorbacks surrendered 208.8 yards per game through the air, which ranked 37th nationally and fifth in the SEC. It marked the first time since 2011 that Arkansas had ranked among the top-40 teams nationally in the category.
 
Prior to his time at Arkansas, Jennings spent six seasons as the cornerbacks coach at TCU, a stretch that coincided with the Horned Frogs’ perfect 13-0 record and Rose Bowl victory in 2010 and eventual entry into the Big 12. TCU advanced to a bowl game in five of his six seasons in Fort Worth as the Horned Frogs regularly boasted one of the nation’s top defenses.
 
In his first three seasons alone, TCU became only the third program in NCAA history to lead the nation in total defense over three consecutive years. The Horned Frogs were a combined 36-3 during that stretch as TCU also made appearances in the 2008 Poinsettia Bowl and the 2009 Fiesta Bowl.
 
TCU closed the 2010 season as the nation’s leader for both passing defense (128.8 yards per game) and passing efficiency (94.9) as the Horned Frogs forced 22 turnovers, 12 of which came from interceptions. A year earlier, TCU ranked fourth nationally in passing efficiency (97.9) and then 11th in passing defense after allowing only 170.7 yards per game through the air.
 
Jennings has tutored numerous NFL draft picks and free-agent selections during his career, including Tevin Mitchel (Arkansas), Alan Turner (Arkansas), Jason Verrett (TCU), Kevin White (TCU), Greg McCoy (TCU), Malcolm Williams (TCU), Rafael Priest (TCU), C.C. Brown (Louisiana), Michael Adams (Louisiana), Antwain Spann (Louisiana), Keith Davis (Sam Houston) and Jordan Babineaux (Southern Arkansas).
 
Verrett was a two-time All-American during his career at TCU before being drafted 25th overall in 2014 by the now Los Angeles Chargers. Verrett earned first team All-America honors from the Walter Camp Football Foundation in 2013 as well as Big 12 Co-Defensive Player of the Year. He was a first team All-America selection in 2012 as well by Sports Illustrated.
 
Jennings was the secondary coach and recruiting coordinator at Sam Houston from 2001 to 2002 where he mentored an All-America selection and Buck Buchanan Award finalist in Davis. Sam Houston claimed a share of the 2001 Southland Conference title in Jennings’ first season and also advanced to the quarterfinal round of the FCS playoffs that season.
 
Before Sam Houston, Jennings coached the secondary at Southern Arkansas (2000), Morningside College in Sioux City, Iowa (1999), and Morehouse College in Atlanta (1998). He began his coaching career as a student assistant (1996) and then graduate assistant (1997) at North Texas shortly after ending his playing career for the Mean Green.
 
Jennings was a four-year letterwinner during his playing career at North Texas (1992-95) where he was part of the Mean Green’s Southland Conference championship team in 1994. Jennings finished his career at North Texas with 63 total tackles and 10.5 sacks.
 
Jennings earned his bachelor’s degree in kinesiology from North Texas in 1997. He and his wife, Belinda, have two kids, Kirby and Kenzie.
 
Clay Jennings Coaching Career
2022 - Texas State (Defensive Backs/Passing Game Coordinator)
2021 – UNLV (Cornerbacks)
2020 – North Texas (Cornerbacks)
2019 – North Texas (Cornerbacks)
2018 – Texas Tech (Defensive Backs)
2017 – Houston (Co-Defensive Coordinator/Secondary)
2016 – Texas (Defensive Backs)
2015 – Arkansas (Defensive Backs)
2014 – Arkansas (Defensive Backs)
2013 – TCU (Cornerbacks)
2012 – TCU (Cornerbacks)
2011 – TCU (Cornerbacks)
2010 – TCU (Cornerbacks)
2009 – TCU (Cornerbacks)
2008 – TCU (Cornerbacks)
2007 – Baylor (Cornerbacks)
2006 – Houston (Safeties)
2005 – Houston (Safeties)
2004 – Louisiana (Secondary)
2003 – Louisiana (Secondary)
2002 – Sam Houston (Secondary/Recruiting Coordinator)
2001 – Sam Houston (Secondary/Recruiting Coordinator)
2000 – Southern Arkansas (Secondary)
1999 – Morningside College (Secondary)
1998 – Morningside College (Secondary)
1997 – North Texas (GA)
1996 – North Texas (Student Assistant)