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Stephen Holder, ESPN
INDIANAPOLIS — The Colts are hiring former Bengals defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo to serve in the same role in Indianapolis, sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Monday.
The Colts fired veteran coordinator Gus Bradley earlier this month in an effort to improve their defense after a disappointing season that saw them fall to 29th in yards allowed (361.2) per game.
Anarumo’s unit has struggled in 2024, but he has deployed some impressive defenses in the past. Among his accomplishments was the Bengals’ defensive performance in Super Bowl LVI, where his game plans were considered a key factor in the team’s success. He concocted the defensive scheme that thwarted the Kansas City Chiefs and quarterback Patrick Mahomes in the AFC Championship Game that season.
A Colts source cited Anarumo’s multiple defensive looks as something that appealed to the team. Anarumo, 58, also differs from Bradley in other ways, such as his tendency to hide in coverages and his greater aggressiveness than the Colts have used in recent years.
While Bradley was known for using a predictable offense from week to week, Anarumo often adapts his game plans to opponents in an attempt to catch an offense’s weaknesses.
The Colts also interviewed other candidates, including former New Orleans Saints coach Dennis Allen, who is expected to join new Chicago Bears coach Ben Johnson’s staff, sources told Schefter.
Anarumo’s six-year tenure in Cincinnati ended disappointingly, with the Bengals finishing 2024 ranked 26th in points allowed per drive and 30th in red zone efficiency. But the Colts were looking for a change after their own struggles and hope a change in philosophy will help them.
“Since I’ve been a Colt, this has definitely been our worst year defensively,” star defensive tackle DeForest Buckner said at the end of the season.
“You saw us play at a high level and play defense and then we played offense that wasn’t very good and all of a sudden it was like what happened?”
