Lou Anarumo hoping to make most of fresh start as Colts defensive coordinator
Cincinnati Bengals defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo watches during an NFL football practice, Tuesday, May 28, 2024, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Jeff Dean, File)
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — A change of scenery might help rejuvenate Lou Anarumo’s career.
The Indianapolis Colts certainly believe it can.
On Thursday, three days after Anarumo was hired, the Colts defensive coordinator explained how he intends to use his flexible scheme and unwavering standards to lead a quick turnaround so Indy can end its playoff drought.
“Sometimes a fresh start with a coach, for players, is a good thing,” he said during his introductory news conference. “I know how we’ll carry ourselves as coaches and we’ll ask these guys to be consistent as players. They’ve got to expect the same thing from us. My standard is I’m going to be a truth teller. It’s my job to say ‘Yes, you’re doing it right,’ or ‘No, you’re doing it wrong.’”
Anarumo has a track record of being aggressive and using multiple defensive formations for getting things right.
That’s a big change from what Colts fans saw under former defensive coordinator Gus Bradley, who was let go as his contract expired. Bradley didn’t blitz often, relying instead on his base defense and familiar formations each week.
In six seasons calling the Cincinnati Bengals defenses, Anarumo helped produce four winning records, reach back-to-back AFC championship games and make the franchise’s third Super Bowl appearance following the 2021 season.
The results in 2021 and 2022 turned Anarumo into a “hot” head coaching candidate.
But after Joe Burrow’s injury spoiled Cincinnati’s 2023 season, the Bengals took a step backward under Anarumo last season after losing some key free agents.
The defense struggled early last season, a problem compounded by the lack of a consistent pass rush. While the defense improved late in 2024 and helped put Cincinnati on the cusp of a playoff spot — Anarumo was fired the day after the Bengals were eliminated on the final day of the regular season.
Indy, though, is giving Anarumo another chance as coach Shane Steichen and general manager Chris Ballard enter a season in which both likely will be fighting for their jobs.
“Lou is a proven leader who will demand the best out of our players,” Steichen said in a statement Tuesday when the hiring became official. “His strategic mindset and unique scheme will be invaluable as we build a fast and disciplined defensive unit.”
Anarumo certainly has some foundational pieces at his disposal.
Defensive tackle DeForest Buckner has made three Pro Bowl appearances and was a first-team All-Pro in 2020. Linebacker Zaire Franklin led the NFL with 173 tackles last season, earning his first Pro Bowl selection and second-team All-Pro honors. And Anarumo sees Colts cornerback Kenny Moore II, a 2021 Pro Bowler, playing a similar role to what Bengals cornerback Mike Hilton has played.
Still, there is plenty of work to do.
Linebacker E.J. Speed and safety Julian Blackman, both starters, and three key backups can become free agents in March, and Indy’s young secondary has struggled with injuries and productivity each of the past two seasons.
It’s not just what happened on the field that proved problematic.
“There are times where ego gets in the way,” Bucker said Jan. 6. “As a team, everybody needs to check their ego at the door when they come in. We all have egos, but the great teams, those guys they sacrifice that ego and check it at the door.”
Anarumo thinks he can fix that, too.
“Good players, great players, want to be coached, they want to know the truth,” Anarumo said. “If they don’t, then there’s probably a little bit of an issue there, but the best ones I’ve ever been around say ‘Coach me, coach me hard, tell me what you want.’”
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