Hawkeye Football Program Losing Key Coach to the NFL

It appears that the Iowa Hawkeye football program is losing one of its top coaches to the NFL.

After being reported by The Athletic and NFL Network, the Cedar Rapids Gazette reports that Iowa running backs coach Ladell Betts will become the next running backs coach for the New York Giants. The Giants made the hiring official last night. Betts leaves Iowa after spending four years on Kirk Ferentz's staff and left his mark on some great running backs at the University of Iowa.

The Gazette reports that Betts worked with some great running backs at Iowa and oversaw the improvement of All-American Kaleb Johnson, who went on to have the most rushing yards in a single season since Shonn Greene in 2008. He also set the single-season rushing touchdown mark at Iowa. Betts also worked with Tyler Goodson in 2021. Goodson spent time with the Green Bay Packers and is currently a member of the Indianapolis Colts.

Betts got his start as a running back at Iowa and was a second-round pick by Washington in the 2002 NFL Draft according to the Gazette. He played nine years in the NFL, eight of them in Washington. Betts will join some familiar names on the New York Giants coaching staff. The Gazette reports that former Hawkeye James Ferentz is an offensive line coach and Steven Ferentz is a defensive assistant.