EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – The Giants announced two additions to their coaching staff, a newcomer to the organization and a returnee who was with the team from 2016-2019.
Joel Thomas is the team's new running backs coach and Aaron Wellman is the executive director of player performance. Both coaches are 49 years old.
They join offensive line coach Carmen Bricillo as new members of the Giants' coaching staff.
Thomas is a 24-year coaching veteran who spent the last nine seasons as the New Orleans Saints' running backs coach. During that time, the Saints ranked second in the NFL with 161 rushing touchdowns and Thomas' backs recorded 27 individual 100-yard performances.
Under Thomas' tutelage, Alvin Kamara was selected to the Pro Bowl five times and is the only NFL player to have rushed for at least 1,160 yards in each of the last seven seasons, including three of 1,500 yards or more. Kamara is the first player in Saints history to lead the team in rushing in six consecutive seasons. He has 10,048 scrimmage yards and 78 touchdowns and is one of four players with more than 10,000 yards and more than 75 scores since entering the league in 2017. The others are Derrick Henry, Tyreek Hill and Christian McCaffrey.
Before joining the Saints, Thomas was the running backs coach at the University of Arkansas from 2013-14. He spent the last four seasons (2009-12) in the same position at the University of Washington.
Thomas also was a running backs coach at Purdue (2000-01 and 2006-08), Louisville (2002-03) and Idaho (2004-05).
Thomas was a running back at the University of Idaho from 1993 to 1998, where he was a two-time first-team All-Big West selection and conference player of the year as a senior and still has 3,929 rushing yards for the Vandals Holds career record 51 rushing touchdowns and 765 rushing attempts. He was inducted into the University of Idaho Athletic Hall of Fame in 2008. Thomas earned his bachelor's degree in public communications in 1998.
He replaces Jeff Nixon, who left the Giants after one season to become offensive coordinator at Syracuse University.