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Giants Hire Burton Burns as Their Running Backs Coach

Giants head coach Joe Judge plucks another assistant coach with ties to Nick Saban for his new Giants coaching staff. Here's what else we know about Burns.
Patricia Traina|
Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports

The Giants have hired Burton Burns, most recently the assistant athletic director at Alabama, to be their new running backs coach, according to SiriusXM NFL Radio’s Alex Marvez.

Burns, who worked with Alabama head coach Nick Saban, has ties to new Giants head coach Joe Judge via his connection with Saban.  Burns has been with Alabama since 2007 and was the team’s associate head coach and running backs coach until 2018.

Burns, a New Orleans native who has been a part of five National Championship teams, was the Football Scoop Running Backs Coach of the Year following the 2008 season. He has coached three Heisman Trophy finalists in his career, including Mark Ingram (2009), the 2009 recipient; Trent Richardson, a 2011 finalist; and Derrick Henry, the 2015 winner.

Burns also developed Damien Harris, who led the team with 983 yards (7.4 yards per carry); sophomore Bo Scarbrough, who finished with 954 yards and a team-high 13 touchdowns on 125 carries; and true freshman Josh Jacobs, who had 551 yards and four scores.

Before coming to Alabama, Burns served as an assistant coach at Clemson for eight seasons, where he helped coach contributors in six of the top-10 offenses in Clemson history. Among his student-athletes were 2005 ACC Rookie of the Year James Davis and 2006 freshman record-setter C.J. Spiller.

Burns, who also had a four-year coaching stint at Tulane, is a former college fullback at Nebraska, where he played under head coach Tom Osborne (1971-75). While there, Burns was a member of three Cornhusker teams that won at least nine games, and a participant in the Orange Bowl, Cotton Bowl, and Sugar Bowl.

Burns earned his bachelor’s degree in education from Nebraska in 1976. 

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Patricia Traina
PATRICIA TRAINA

Patricia Traina has covered the New York Giants for 30+ seasons, and her work has appeared in multiple media outlets, including The Athletic, Forbes, Bleacher Report, and the Sports Illustrated media group. As a credentialed New York Giants press corps member, Patricia has also covered five Super Bowls (three featuring the Giants), the annual NFL draft, and the NFL Scouting Combine. She is the author of The Big 50: The Men and Moments that Made the New York Giants. In addition to her work with New York Giants On SI, Patricia hosts the Locked On Giants podcast. Patricia is also a member of the Pro Football Writers of America and the Football Writers Association of America.

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