Report: Colts to hire Lou Anarumo as their defensive coordinator

Indianapolis lands its new defensive coordinator in Lou Anarumo.

The Indianapolis Colts are expected to hire Lou Anarumo as their next defensive coordinator, according to multiple reports.

The Colts moved on from defensive coordinator Gus Bradley after three season. From there, Indianapolis moved quickly in interviewing five candidates that included Anarumo. Anarumo was most recently a part of Bengals’ staff, where he had been the team’s defensive coordinator for the past six seasons before being let go following the 2024 season.

Anarumo will bring a completely different style to the Colts’ defense compared to what we have seen under the team’s previous defensive coordinators in Bradley and Matt Eberflus. Most notably, Anarumo’s defensive units were at their best from 2021-2022, ranking atop the league in points per game and touchdown percentage allowed, according to The Athletic.

One of the key factors in the Bengals’ defense ranking as high as they did in those key metrics during that timeframe was their personnel. Personnel changes, including the loss of star safety Jessie Bates and cornerback Chidobe Awuzie through the last few offseason’s, for example, can be partially attributed to the Bengals’ defensive decline over the last couple of seasons.

The hiring of Anarumo, who played a major role in helping the Bengals reach the Super Bowl in 2021, shows a shift in the Colts’ minds regarding how they want their defense to operate in 2025.

With Indianapolis having a number of talented players on defense, especially along the defensive line, Anarumo will have solid personnel to work with in that unit. He’ll be tasked with getting more production out of a talented group. The Colts’ secondary is arguably where changes could be made this offseason. We’ll have to see if such a drastic shift in their defensive philosophy leads to changes in personnel for Indianapolis in the months ahead.