Oklahoma State University Athletics
Bill Clay
July 29, 2004 | Cowboy Football
Clay's defense has played an instrumental role in the OSU's charge to consecutive bowl games. Last season, the Cowboys held their opponents under 20 points on five seperate occasions, including a three-game stretch that saw them surrender just 12 total points.
As evident by his lengthy coaching career, he provides a vast wealth of knowledge and expertise to the OSU coaching staff.
Clay joined the Cowboy coaching staff in 2001 after serving as the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Alabama-Birmingham for four seasons, 1997-2000.
"Bill Clay is an outstanding football coach," Miles said. "His defenses have consistently been nationally ranked and he's got an incredible amount of experience as a coordinator. I believe he is one of the top defensive coaches in the country."
Under Clay's guidance, the Oklahoma State defense provided one of the most memorable performances in the 2001 season. OSU defeated Oklahoma, 16-13, as the defense held the Sooners to zero yards rushing, while also wreaking havoc on the OU passing game with seven sacks and three interceptions.
Clay was the architect of one of the nation's top defenses in 2000 with UAB. The Blazers, who finished 7-4, were ranked 11th in total defense allowing an average of 209.9 yards per game. UAB was ninth in scoring and sixth in rushing defense and was as high as number two in the country in total defense during the season.
During Clays' stint at UAB, he coached five players who went on to the NFL, including defensive backs Dainon Sidney (Tennessee), Izell Reese (Dallas) and Rodregis Brooks (Indianapolis). He also coached linebacker Brian Smith who went to the Atlanta Falcons and defensive end Otis Leverette who was a sixth-round selection by the Miami Dolphins in the 2001 draft.
Prior to arriving at UAB in 1997, Clay spent one season at Texas-El Paso. In one season at UTEP, Clay took the Miners' defense from last in the WAC to second. His 1996 UTEP defense was 39th in the NCAA and 33rd nationally in pass defense.
Prior to his year at UTEP, Clay was an assistant coach at Mississippi State for seven years (1989-95), including five years as the defensive coordinator. During Clay's tenure at Starkville, the Bulldogs participated in three bowl games and his defenses were nationally ranked in 1991, 1992 and 1994.
Clay's resume includes a year as an assistant with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1987). His collegiate experience includes stops at Virginia Tech (1972), Virginia (1969-71), South Carolina (1973-74), Southern Mississippi (1976-81), Southern Methodist (1982-86) and Temple (1988). Clay has spent 17 seasons as a defensive coordinator in Division I-A and a total of 26 seasons as a defensive coach.
He has participated in eight bowl games, including three with Mississippi State, three with Southern Methodist and two with Southern Mississippi.
At SMU, the Mustangs were second in the nation in scoring defense in 1983, allowing just 9.9 points per game. The 1982 team went 11-0-1, finished the season ranked second in the nation and defeated Pittsburgh in the Cotton Bowl.
During Clay's two seasons as defensive coordinator at Southern Mississippi, the Golden Eagles' defense was also one of the nation's best. In 1980, USM led the nation in scoring defense (8.1) and was 10th in total defense. A year later, the Golden Eagles were fifth in total defense. USM had a combined 18-5-1 record those two seasons and went to two straight bowl games.
Clay is a native of Marianna, Ark., and graduated from the University of Arkansas in 1963. He was a two-year letterman for the Razorbacks. He started his coaching career at Granby High School in Norfolk, Va., where he coached for four years before joining the staff at Virginia.
Clay and his wife, Marimarlene, have four grown daughters, Christina Long, Kimberly Bennett, Amanda Clay and Kelly Kittrell.
