Highly regarded in his Bengals DC post heading into this season, Lou Anarumo saw his pieces unravel during a disastrous slate for the unit. As a result, a firing took place. But the veteran defensive leader might not be out of work long.
One of the other teams with an early DC vacancy has contacted him. The Colts want to meet with Anarumo to replace Gus Bradley, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero tweets. The Colts also have Steve Wilks on their radar. Both candidates will be among those expected to interview, with the meetings on tap for next week.
The Colts booted Bradley after three seasons; Anarumo lasted six in that chair with the Bengals. The former Dolphins assistant had interviewed for multiple HC jobs during his time in Cincinnati, meeting with the Cardinals in 2023 and Giants in 2022. Anarumo was not a popular HC candidate, however, as those were the only two known meetings to have taken place. But the veteran assistant proved valuable for the Bengals during their run of back-to-back AFC championship game appearances.
Anarumo, 58, devised a sound plan to cool off a then-elite Chiefs offense to help the Bengals complete a comeback that produced the franchise’s first Super Bowl berth in 33 years. The team could not stave off a gimpy Patrick Mahomes the following January, but that 2022 Cincy unit ranked sixth in scoring defense — by far the team’s best finish under Anarumo. Even though Anarumo’s unit sank to 25th this season, it would stand to reason other DC-needy teams — once they choose HCs — will be interested in meeting with the veteran coordinator.
Wilks did not coach in the NFL this season, but his 2023 work as the 49ers’ DC aged fairly well after San Francisco opted for another change on that side of the ball this week. San Francisco plummeted from third to 29th in scoring defense this season. While the team’s defense showed cracks late in the 2023 season — culminating in a walk-off Chiefs TD to seal Super Bowl LVIII — Wilks’ unit still allowed just one touchdown drive beyond 16 yards that night.
Wilks also impressed as the Panthers’ interim coach in 2022, rallying the team to a 6-6 finish after a 1-4 start. He still lost out to ex-Colts HC Frank Reich in 2023, with Carolina intent on hiring an offense-oriented candidate. That season went much better than his 2018 one-off as Cardinals HC, which produced a discrimination lawsuit — the Brian Flores-led measure — that is ongoing.