Betts was in temporary charge of Wigan for 12 months from May 2004

The ex-Great Britain second row resigned as assistant to Ian Millward at the JJB Stadium in November.

"I am really pleased to have made the switch and I am looking forward to working alongside Dean Ryan and Bryan Redpath," he told the club's website.

"It's a very exciting move in my career and a tough challenge but I am looking forward to the opportunity."

Betts joined Wigan in 1986 from amateur side Leigh Rangers and was a key part of the team that dominated British rugby league in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

He joined the newly-formed Auckland Warriors in 1995 but returned to Wigan three years later and scored the first try at the JJB Stadium.

He coached the Wigan academy team and became first team coach when Mike Gregory was taken ill after the 2004 Challenge Cup final.

But relations between Betts and Millward, who replaced the 36-year-old as coach midway through last season, are thought to have become strained after Betts allegedly refused to coach the club's academy side.

Gloucester coach Dean Ryan said he was delighted to have secured the services of Betts.

"Having got to know him over the last three or four months we felt that Denis has an awful lot to offer us in terms of skills development," he said.

"He will challenge the normal thinking of a rugby union side and not just in defence. The big area we want to develop is within the skills aspect of the side and Denis is perfect for it.

"His record as a rugby league player is virtually unsurpassed and it is a very exciting move for both of us. It's great for the club."