The Giants are again dipping into the Iowa coaching staff, this time hiring former NFL player LaDell Betts as their new running backs coach, The Post confirmed.
Betts replaces Joel Thomas, who made a lateral move to coach the running backs for the Saints.
This is the first NFL coaching assignment for Betts.
The 45-year-old spent nine years in the league, the first eight with Washington (2002-2009) and the 2010 season with the Saints.
He was a 2002 second-round pick out of Iowa. Betts put together his best season in 2006 when he rushed for 1,154 yards.
Betts was the running backs coach at Iowa for the past five years. That coincided with Tyrone Tracy’s time at Iowa, but Tracy was a wide receiver for the Hawkeyes before transferring to Purdue and switching to running back.
Clearly, head coach Brian Daboll has an affinity for Kirk Ferentz, Iowa’s head coach. The Giants have two of his sons on the staff — James Ferentz (assistant offensive line) and Steve Ferentz (defensive assistant). Now Daboll has added another former Iowa coach to his staff.
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Betts has an iconic history with the Giants. It was Betts who was tackled at the goal line by Justin Tuck and Antonio Pierce on fourth down to seal the deal on a Week 3 victory in Washington in 2007, a victory that prevented the Giants from falling to 0-3 in a season in which they ended by winning Super Bowl 42.