The Indinapolis Colts made it official on Tuesday and announced that Lou Anarumo will be the team’s next defensive coordinator.
HAPPY LOU YEAR! pic.twitter.com/8VucBlmut2
— Indianapolis Colts (@Colts) January 21, 2025
Head coach Shane Steichen had this to say about the addition of Anarumo:
“I’m thrilled to add Lou Anarumo as our defensive coordinator,” Colts head coach Shane Steichen said. “With many years of coaching experience, Lou is a proven leader who will demand the best out of our players. His strategic mindset and unique scheme will be invaluable as we build a fast and disciplined defensive unit.”
Anarumo had been the Cincinnati Bengals defensive play-caller since 2019.
At their best, Anarumo’s defense ranked fifth in scoring during the 2022 season, when the Bengals went on their Super Bowl run. However, numerous players on that side of the ball leaving in free agency in recent offseasons was a factor in zapping the playmaking and high level play that had been established on the defensive side of the ball.
During his tenure with the Bengals, Anarumo was dubbed the ‘Mad Scientist’ for his ability to maximize the versatility of his players and how he molded his game-plans on a weekly basis, both based on the opponent the skill sets he had to work with on the defensive side of the ball.
Couple that with his ability to disguise what the defense is doing, and you got a Bengals’ defense that was an “amoeba,” as Bengals Wire managing editor Chris Roling put it, able to mold to any opponent or situation.
Throughout his coaching career, Anarumo has taken little nuggets from each stop and implemented them within his own playbook, resulting in flexible and quick to adapt scheme.
His coaching background is rooted in working with defensive backs, a position group for the Colts that has to improve. The stats from Anarumo’s time with the Bengals steadily shows a productive defensive backfield.
Anarumo will now be tasked with generating more consistency and high level play from a Colts’ defense that has ranked in the bottom-third of the NFL in scoring the last few seasons.
And how he goes about doing that is going to look quite different than what we saw from previous defensive coordinator Gus Bradley.