According to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, the New York Giants have requested to interview Indianapolis Colts veteran defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo for their open head coaching job:
The 59-year-old defensive coordinator just completed his debut season for Indianapolis, but has also been requested to interview for the Tennessee Titans open head coaching vacancy this cycle.
The Colts defense finished allowing the NFL 21st most points (24.2 avg. ppg), but finished around 14th overall in defensive DVOA. Under Anarumo, it was once a Top 10 defensive unit before injuries to its three best players: DeForest Buckner, Sauce Gardner, and Charvarius Ward clearly decimated the unit’s success down the stretch.
To me, it was more of an injury and personnel issue than coaching, as Anarumo wasn’t able to get any sort of consistent outside pass rush and had linebackers that couldn’t consistently cover the opposition. Without his starting outside cornerbacks and his best defensive lineman as well, things snowballed quickly in Indianapolis.
Nicknamed the ‘Mad Scientist,’ Anarumo has been lauded for his ability to tailor his defensive gameplans to his opponents on a weekly basis. However, like most defensive coordinators and defensive minded head coaches, as play callers, his units have slipped when they don’t have the horses or talent to match up and make plays.
In my opinion, Anarumo remains one of the better defensive coordinators in the league, and it’s a shame that we never really got to see him coach the Colts defense at full strength following the much anticipated trade deadline acquisition of former 2x NFL All-Pro cornerback Sauce Gardner. Maybe that will change in 2026, but we’ll see!
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