Shane Steichen has found his new defensive coordinator.
The Colts are hiring former Bengals defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo to fill the same position in Indianapolis, NFL Network Insiders Ian Rapoport, Mike Garafolo and Tom Pelissero reported.
Anarumo takes over a defense in Indianapolis that cratered over the last two seasons, falling from a mid-level unit (and a 15th-place finish in total yards allowed in 2022) to 24th in 2023 and 29th in 2024. In all three seasons, former Jaguars coach Gus Bradley oversaw the defense as its coordinator but after struggling mightily in 2024, Bradley's firing came as no surprise.
Anarumo encountered similar difficulties in his final two seasons with the Bengals, watching his defense take a drastic step backward, finishing 26th in points allowed per game and 25th in yards per game. Their struggles defined the story of the 2024 Bengals, who scored the sixth-most points per game (27.8) in the NFL but missed the playoffs with a 9-8 record in a campaign in which they lost four games in which they scored 30-plus points. After falling short of the postseason, Bengals coach Zac Taylor made the difficult decision to part with Anarumo, who had served as Bengals DC since 2019.
Although Anarmuo was able to tighten things up defensively late in the season -- helping the Bengals win each of their final five games in a desperate playoff push -- most Cincinnati fans walked away with the same sentiment: Their leaky defense wasted a career year produced by quarterback Joe Burrow, who would have attracted plenty of NFL MVP attention had the defense been able to do their part earlier in the year.
Despite being fired by Cincinnati in January, Anarumo attracted attention in the hiring cycle, interviewing with Atlanta and Indianapolis for their vacant defensive coordinator positions. Anarumo's past reputation -- which even drew consideration for head-coaching opportunities in 2023 -- convinced prospective employers to overlook his team's struggles in 2024, which could be understandably explained by personnel losses sustained during the 2024 offseason.
With Steichen entering a potentially pivotal 2025 campaign, Anarumo will head northwest to join Steichen with the same collective goal: Guide the Colts back to a playoff berth earned by playing complementary football.
