Jeff Dean/Getty Images

Former Bengals Defensive Coordinator Lou Anarumo Joins NFL Team's Staff

Originally posted on The Spun | By Andrew Gould | Last updated Jan 20, 2025 4:25 PM ET

Lou Anarumo didn't take long to find a new NFL job.

The Cincinnati Bengals fired the defensive coordinator after completing his sixth season on Zac Taylor's staff. They missed the playoffs with the league's No. 25 defense despite Joe Burrow leading the NFL in passing yards and touchdowns.

According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, Anarumo landed a new opportunity. The Indianapolis Colts will hire him as their new defensive coordinator.

Anarumo spent two decades in college football, including stops at Harvard, Marshall, and Purdue, before joining the Miami Dolphins in 2012. After six seasons coaching defensive backs, he worked the same job for the New York Giants in 2018.

The Bengals never finished higher than 16th in yards allowed under his watch, but they made the Super Bowl in 2021 and permitted the sixth-fewest yards per game (20.1) the following season.

However, defense was Cincinnati's clear Achilles' heel this season. The Bengals allowed at least 34 points in six of their losses and topped 30 points in four of those defeats.

"I just felt like we needed a change," Taylor said after hiring Anarumo, per the team website. "I thought long and hard about it. Lou's been doing this for six years here and the success that we've had he's been a big reason why we've had a lot of the success. I don't take this lightly; put a lot of thought into it. It's not an easy day for any of us. I just felt like we need to perform better as a football team."

Anarumo will get a fresh start with the Colts, who have their own defensive shortcomings to fix. They've ranked 24th and 29th in yards allowed in the last two seasons under head coach Shane Steichen, a former offensive coordinator.

Indianapolis got eliminated from playoff contention with a 45-33 loss to the Giants, who averaged 16.1 points per game. After completing an 8-9 season, the Colts parted ways with Gus Bradley.

Anarumo had interviewed for the Atlanta Falcons' defensive coordinator vacancy on Thursday.

This article first appeared on The Spun and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: