Three days after staging its penultimate scrimmage, UNLV turned in its final Tuesday edition of Spring Practice 2021 at Rebel Park. The unusually overcast Las Vegas skies did nothing to dampen the enthusiasm of the staff and players, including one of the new faces coaching on the defensive side of the ball -- first-year UNLV cornerbacks coach Clay Jennings.

The last time Jennings attended a football game in Las Vegas it was as a player for North Texas when the Mean Green took on the Rebels at Sam Boyd Stadium in 1995. The next time will be when the Rebels take on Eastern Washington September 2 inside one of the world's greatest sporting venues – Allegiant Stadium.

"I remember playing that game here," said Jennings. "It was in November and we got beat (UNLV won 34-24). It was our first season back on the I-A level. I remember coming out here but as much as I like nostalgia, I am excited about the big upgrade to Allegiant. That's an entirely different experience."

A veteran of 16 years coaching in the Lone Star State alone, Jennings came to Las Vegas after spending the last two seasons overseeing the cornerbacks at his alma mater, North Texas. He moved to UNT after spending the 2018 season as the defensive backs coach at Texas Tech. Prior to his arrival in Lubbock, he spent the 2017 season as the co-defensive coordinator and secondary coach at the University of Houston.
 
"We are fired up to welcome Coach Jennings to the staff," said UNLV head coach Marcus Arroyo when he announced the hire. "He is a veteran coach who brings to our program invaluable years of experience at both the Power 5 level and in the Mountain West conference. Coach Jennings' skill set and tenure is perfectly matched to the task of developing and preparing our young cornerbacks room for the upcoming season."
 
Jennings' resume is an impressive one. Also on the Cougars' staff during the 2005-06 seasons, he returned to Houston after spending the 2016 campaign at the University of Texas and then the two years prior to that at the University of Arkansas (2014-15). Before his time in the SEC, 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.
 
Jennings' previous coaching stops include Baylor (2007), Louisiana-Lafayette (2003-04), Sam Houston State (2001-02), Southern Arkansas (2000), Morningside College (1999) and Morehouse College (1998).
 
New to town but no stranger to the staff, it was during his time in Lafayette that Jennings first met Arroyo, who was at Prairie View A&M in his first stint as an offensive coordinator back in 2004. He also has been friends with second-year UNLV associate head coach and linebackers coach Kenwick Thompson for more than two decades.

Jennings said he's impressed by what's going on with Rebel football.

"I've coached in the Big 12 and the SEC and this building here is similar to what you find there, including these fields we're on. For these (UNLV) facilities to be here in the Mountain West – that's impressive. These are really top shelf."

Asked about his first month at Rebel Park with his cornerbacks unit, Jennings said it's been an encouraging spring.

"I'm enjoying them. Tremendous group of young men. I'm blessed to be here coaching them and I'm excited about that."