25 Questions in 25 Days

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25 Questions in 25 Days: Additions to Brian Daboll's staff

Jul 05, 2025 at 05:47 AM

Dan Salomone

Senior Managing Editor, Giants.com

Giants.com is counting down to the start of 2025 Giants Training Camp with 25 questions in 25 days.

18) Who are the new assistants on Brian Daboll's coaching staff in 2025?

Dan Salomone: Brian Daboll added seven new coaches to his staff for the 2025 season. More on them below.

Marquand Manuel (secondary coach/defensive pass game coordinator)

Marquand Manuel is entering his 13th season coaching in the NFL and first season as the Giants secondary coach/pass game coordinator.

Manuel spent the last four seasons (2021-2024) as the defensive backs/safeties coach for the New York Jets. From 2022-24, the Jets defense ranked in the top five in fewest passing yards allowed per game, including the second-best mark in the NFL in 2023 (168.3). Manuel guided a safeties group in 2024 that recorded 10 interceptions, the second-most in the NFL.

Before his time with the Jets, Manuel was the defensive backs coach for the Philadelphia Eagles in 2020.

Manuel served as the defensive coordinator of the Atlanta Falcons from 2017-18 after spending the 2015 and 2016 seasons as the secondary coach/senior defensive assistant on staff. During his time as the defensive coordinator, Atlanta had two players (OLB Deion Jones and FS Keanu Neal) voted to the 2017 Pro Bowl.

While on Atlanta's staff in 2016, Manuel made a coaching appearance in Super Bowl LI after helping lead Atlanta to an 11-5 regular season record, an NFC South Division title and a first-round bye in the playoffs.

Manuel began his NFL coaching career as a special teams assistant with the Seattle Seahawks in 2012. He later was named a defensive assistant in 2013 and then an assistant secondary coach in 2014. In his three seasons in Seattle, the team appeared in two Super Bowls, including Super XLVIII, when Seattle defeated the Denver Broncos, 43-8.

A sixth-round selection (181st overall) by the Cincinnati Bengals, Manuel played eight seasons (2002-09) in the NFL. He played in 116 games (58 starts) and totaled 332 tackles, 16 passes defensed and two interceptions. Manuel played for the Bengals, Seahawks, Packers, Panthers, Broncos and Lions.

A native of Miami, Fla., Manuel has two children, Madison and Marquand II. He played college football at Florida from 1998-2001. While at Florida, he earned his bachelor's degree in criminology and law.

Ladell Betts (running backs coach)

Ladell Betts enters his first season as the running backs coach for the Giants after previously serving in the same position at the University of Iowa from 2021-24.

In 2024, Betts mentored Kaleb Johnson to a single-season school record 21 rushing touchdowns to go along with 1,537 rushing yards, the third-highest total in program history. Johnson accounted for 40 percent of the offensive yards for the Hawkeyes. He finished as a finalist for the Doak Walker Award and was also named the Big Ten Ameche-Dayne Running Back of the Year.

During the 2022 season, Johnson earned Freshman All-America honors after rushing for an Iowa freshman-record 779 yards and six touchdowns.

In Betts' first season on Iowa's staff in 2021, he overlapped with current Giants running back Tyrone Tracy Jr., who played wide receiver at the time. Iowa finished the year ranked 23rd after posting a 10-win season, including clinching the Big Ten West Division and an appearance in the Citrus Bowl.

Prior to his stint at Iowa, Betts was the head coach at Pine Crest School in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. in 2019 and 2020, where he previously served as the offensive coordinator from 2016-18.

Betts held his first offensive coordinator role at Boca Raton High School from 2014-15. Betts began his high school coaching career as the running backs coach at Coral Springs Christian Academy in 2013.

A second-round selection (56th overall) in 2002, Betts spent eight seasons (2002-09) with Washington and compiled 3,176 rushing yards and 13 rushing touchdowns on 776 attempts. He also caught 165 passes for 1,505 yards and three touchdowns. In 2006 Betts had the best year of his career as he rushed for 1,154 yards and four touchdowns on 245 attempts and caught 53 passes for 445 yards and one touchdown.

Betts finished his playing career with the New Orleans Saints in 2010, where he played in eight games and rushed 45 times for 150 yards and two touchdowns while catching 23 passes for 141 yards.

Betts played four seasons at Iowa (1998-2001) and led the Hawkeyes in rushing all four years he was on campus. His 830 career rushing attempts are the most by any Iowa player, while his 3,682 career rushing yards are the second-most in program history. Betts earned second-team All-Big Ten honors in 2000 and 2001 after surpassing the 1,000-yard mark in both of those seasons.

Betts earned his bachelor's degree from Iowa in 2001. A native of Blue Springs, Mo., Betts and his wife, Shatarah, have five daughters and one son.

Jeff Burris (cornerbacks coach)

Jeff Burris is in first season as the Giants' cornerbacks coach. This is Burris' second stint in the NFL after working as the assistant defensive backs coach with the Miami Dolphins from 2013-15.

Burris joins the Giants' staff after spending the 2024 season as the co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach at Louisiana Tech. Under Burris' guidance, the Bulldogs allowed the fewest passing yards per game (172.8) and the second-fewest points per game (21.0) in Conference USA.

From 2021-23, Burris mentored the cornerback group at Louisiana. Every season Burris was on staff, the Ragin' Cajuns appeared in a bowl game and in 2021, Louisiana totaled a program-record 13-win season and captured the Sun Belt Conference Championship. That season, Louisiana's defense allowed the third-lowest completion percentage in the nation (53.1%) and the 11^th-fewest points per game (18.3).

Burris first coached at Louisiana Tech from 2018-20, where he mentored two future NFL draftees in L'Jarius Sneed and Amik Robertson. In Burris' three seasons with the Bulldogs, they made three consecutive bowl appearances and posted a 10-win season in 2019.

In 2017, Burris served as the defensive backs coach at Northern Iowa following one year as a defensive analyst at Notre Dame, his alma mater, in 2016.

Burris' first job in the NFL was as a defensive assistant for the Miami Dolphins from 2013-14, before he was named the assistant defensive backs coach in 2015. While Burris was on staff, defensive back Brent Grimes made three consecutive Pro Bowls and had the third-most passes defensed (44) and fourth-most interceptions (13) in the NFL during that three-year span. In 2015, Reshad Jones joined Grimes at the Pro Bowl after recording a career-high five interceptions and 10 passes defensed.

Before his time with the Dolphins, Burris spent one season at UMass (2012) and with the Sacramento Mountain Lions of the United Football League in 2011. In both positions, he oversaw the cornerbacks.

A first-round selection (27th overall) by the Buffalo Bills in the 1994 draft, Burris spent 10 seasons in the NFL. After four seasons in Buffalo, Burris played four seasons for the Indianapolis Colts (1998-2002) and two seasons for the Cincinnati Bengals (2002-03). Across his 10-year career, Burris played in 144 games (120 starts) and recorded 529 tackles, 101 passes defensed, 19 interceptions, six forced fumbles, 5.0 sacks and three fumble recoveries.

A native of Rock Hill, S.C., Burris played four seasons at Notre Dame (1990-93) on both sides of the ball, primarily seeing action at defensive back. Burris is married to the former Lisa Dian.

Chad Hall (assistant quarterbacks coach)

Chad Hall enters his first season as the assistant quarterbacks coach for the Giants. The 2025 season will mark his ninth coaching in the NFL.

Hall spent 2023-24 as the wide receivers coach for the Jacksonville Jaguars, overseeing the ascension of Brian Thomas Jr., a standout rookie in 2024. Under Hall's mentorship, Thomas ranked third overall in the NFL with 1,282 receiving yards and led all rookies with 10 touchdown receptions. Thomas also set Jaguars rookie records in receptions (87), receiving yards and yards per catch (14.7). He was voted to the 2025 Pro Bowl, becoming the first rookie wide receiver in Jaguars history to be named to the Pro Bowl.

Before his stint in Jacksonville, Hall spent six seasons (2017-22) with the Buffalo Bills. During his tenure, Hall overlapped with Giants head coach Brian Daboll from 2018-21 while Daboll was the offensive coordinator. Hall served as an offensive assistant his first two seasons in Buffalo before leading the wide receiver group from 2019-22.

As the wide receivers coach in Buffalo, Hall oversaw two receivers who broke the 1,000-yard mark. In 2019, John Brown reached 1,000 yards for just the second time in his career, while Stefon Diggs surpassed 1,000 yards every season from 2020-22. Diggs was named First-Team All-Pro in 2020 after leading the league with 127 receptions and 1,535 yards. Cole Beasley also earned Second-Team All-Pro honors in 2020.

Hall played wide receiver in the NFL from 2010-13, beginning his career with the Philadelphia Eagles (2010-11). Hall also spent time with the San Francisco 49ers (2012) and Kansas City Chiefs (2013). During his career, Hall rushed 12 times for 42 yards and caught 16 passes for 155 yards and two touchdowns.

A native of Atlanta, Ga., Hall played collegiately at the United States Air Force Academy, where in 2007 he led the nation in all-purpose yards and was named the Mountain West Conference Offensive Player of the Year. He was also a Heisman Trophy candidate. From 2008-09, Hall served in the United States Air Force as a second lieutenant in the 421st Black Widow F-16 Maintenance Squadron. He and his wife, Rose, have four children, Penelope (five), Wright (four), Presley (two) and Forrest (one).

Troy Brown (offensive assistant/minority coaching fellow)

Troy Brown, a three-time Super Bowl Champion (2001, '03 and '04) with the New England Patriots, is entering his first season on the Giants' staff as an offensive assistant and minority coaching fellow.

Brown spent the 2024 season in a skill-development – kick/punt returners role in New England. Under Brown's guidance, Marcus Jones ranked third in the NFL with 386 punt return yards. Among players with at least 10 punt returns, Jones' 14.8 average was the second-highest in the league. Overall, the Patriots punt return unit ranked second in the league with a 14.2 return average and third in total punt return yards (427).

Across six seasons in New England, Brown worked closely with two first-team All-Pro punt returners. In 2022, Jones earned All-Pro honors after leading the league in punt return yards (362 yards) and owning the longest punt return of the season (84-yard return vs. the Jets in Week 11) In 2020, Gunner Olszewski was named first-team All-Pro after averaging a league-leading 17.3 yards per return.

Brown began coaching in 2019 in an NFL Minority Coaching Fellowship position with the New England Patriots while also serving as the assistant wide receivers coach. In Brown's role, he primarily worked with returners but also held roles coaching running backs (2020) and wide receivers (2021-23). During his tenure in New England, Brown oversaw the development of Jakobi Meyers, who posted back-to-back seasons with 800+ receiving yards in 2021 and 2022.

An eighth-round selection (198th overall) by the Patriots in 1993, Brown spent his entire 15-year playing career in New England. Brown played in 192 games (70 starts) and caught 557 passes for 6,366 yards and 31 touchdowns. He also rushed 29 times for 178 yards. On special teams, Brown returned 252 punts for 2,625 yards and three touchdowns and 87 kickoffs for 1,862 yards. Among Patriot franchise rankings, Brown is first in punt return yards, third in receptions and fifth in receiving yards. Towards the end of his career, Brown contributed on defense, recording 18 tackles, five passes defensed and three interceptions. A three-time Super Bowl champion, Brown was inducted into the Patriots Hall of Fame in 2012.

Born in Barnwell, S.C., Brown attended Marshall University, where he majored in computer science. He is the father of four sons: Sir'mon, Saanjay, Skylar and Sylas. He is engaged to his fiancé, Ana Barros.

Steven Ferentz (defensive assistant)

Steve Ferentz is entering his first season as a defensive assistant on the Giants staff. Ferentz spent the last two seasons (2023-24) as outside linebackers coach at South Dakota.

While Ferentz was at South Dakota, the Coyotes finished the 2023 and 2024 seasons ranked in the top five of the final FCS rankings, posting back-to-back 10-win seasons. In 2024, South Dakota captured a share of the Missouri Valley Football Conference title, the first in program history and made its first-ever appearance in the FCS semifinals.

Ferentz's first role in the NFL was as a coaching assistant with the Miami Dolphins from 2020-21; he was promoted in 2022 to the assistant linebackers coach. While Ferentz was on staff, Miami posted three consecutive seasons with a winning record, including a playoff berth in 2022, the first postseason appearance by the Dolphins since 2016.

Before his time in Miami, Ferentz spent two seasons (2018-19) as a defensive graduate assistant at Central Michigan. In 2019, the Chippewas won eight games and appeared in the MAC Championship game and the New Mexico Bowl.

Ferentz began his coaching career as a volunteer assistant at Iowa in 2017.

A native of Iowa City, Iowa, Ferentz attended Iowa, where he played offensive line and tight end from 2012-16. He is the son of long-time Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz. His brother, James, is currently the assistant offensive line coach for the Giants.

Grant Morgan (defensive assistant)

Grant Morgan is entering his first season as a defensive assistant on the Giants staff.

Morgan began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Illinois in 2023 before serving as the team's assistant linebackers coach in 2024, as the Fighting Illini posted a 10-3 record, tying the program's single season win record. Following a win in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl over #14 South Carolina, Illinois finished the season ranked 20th in the College Football Playoff rankings.

Morgan played five seasons at Arkansas (2016-21), appearing in 58 games (22 starts) and recording 313 tackles, 23.5 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, two interceptions and one forced fumble. In 2021, Morgan was the recipient of the Burlsworth Trophy, awarded to the nation's best player who started his career as a walk-on. He was also a finalist for the 2021 Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year award. Morgan earned two degrees while at Arkansas, a Kinesiology degree in 2019 and a master's degree in Operations Management in 2020.

A native of Fort Smith, Ark., Morgan and his wife Sydnie have one son, Vic.