Colts hiring Anarumo as new DC, sources say

INDIANAPOLIS — The Colts are hiring former Bengals defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo to take over the same duties in Indianapolis, sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Monday.

The Colts fired veteran coordinator Gus Bradley earlier this month in their effort to seek improvement on defense after a disappointing season that saw them fall to 29th in yards allowed (361.2) per game.

Anarumo’s unit struggled in 2024, but he has deployed some impressive defenses in the past. Among his achievements was the Bengals’ defensive performance in the Super Bowl LVI, where his gameplans were seen as a key factor in the team’s success. He famously concocted the defensive plan that stymied 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, like his tendency to disguise coverages and greater aggressiveness than the Colts have employed in recent years.

Whereas Bradley was known for using a predictable attack from week to week, Anarumo often tailors his gameplans to opponents in an attempt to seize on an offense’s weaknesses.

The Colts had 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 Cincinnati tenure ended disappointingly with the Bengals finishing 2024 ranked 26th in points allowed per drive and 30th in redzone efficiency. But the Colts were looking for change after their own struggles and are hoping a shift in philosophy will help.

“Since I’ve been a Colt, it’s been our worst year defensively for sure,” star defensive tackle DeForest Buckner said at the season’s conclusion.

“You saw glimpses of us playing at a high level and playing as a defense, and then we played some offenses that weren’t very good and all of a sudden it was like what happened?”

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