The Colts on Tuesday hired Lou Anarumo as defensive coordinator.
Anarumo joins the Colts after spending the last six seasons (2019-2024) as the Cincinnati Bengals' defensive coordinator. He brings 36 years of coaching experience to the Colts and has an extensive background coaching defensive backs.
"I'm thrilled to add Lou Anarumo as our defensive coordinator," Colts head coach Shane Steichen said. "With many years of coaching experience, Lou is a proven leader who will demand the best out of our players. His strategic mindset and unique scheme will be invaluable as we build a fast and disciplined defensive unit."
With the Bengals, Anarumo masterminded defenses that consistently made things difficult for opposing quarterbacks.
Cincinnati's defense in 2024 finished top 10 in the NFL in interceptions (15, T-8th), pick-sixes (two, T-3rd) and passes defensed (79, 9th); defensive end Trey Hendrickson led the NFL with 17.5 sacks, which tied a career high set in 2023.
Anarumo's Bengals defense in 2022 held opponents to 20.1 points per game (T-5th) and a 58.9 completion percentage, the lowest rate in the NFL. In 2021, Anarumo helped push the Bengals to Super Bowl by holding Cincinnati's opponents – the Las Vegas Raiders, Tennessee Titans, Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Rams – to 20.5 points per game.
After halftime of the 2021 AFC Championship, Anarumo's defense held Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes to eight completions on 18 attempts for 55 yards with two interceptions and four sacks, allowing the Bengals to erase what was an 18-point deficit in the second quarter and win, 27-24, in overtime at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.
Prior to Cincinnati, Anarumo spent seven seasons as a defensive backs coach for the Miami Dolphins (2012-2017) and New York Giants (2018). Anarumo also was named the Dolphins' interim defensive coordinator in 2015 by interim head coach Dan Campbell, who's now the head coach of the Detroit Lions.
Before making the jump to the NFL in 2012, Anarumo coached for 23 years at the college level.
Anaumo coached defensive backs for Purdue from 2004-2011 and was hired by legendary Boilermarkers head coach Joe Tiller. He was Marshall's defensive backs coach from 2001-2003, and in 2003 was also the Thundering Herd's special teams coordinator.
From 1995-2000, Anarumo was Harvard's assistant head coach, defensive backs coach and special teams coordinator – and it was at Harvard where he met Joe Philbin, then the Crimson's offensive line coach. Philbin hired Anarumo as the Dolphins' defensive backs coach upon being hired as Miami's head coach in 2012.
Anarumo also was the defensive backs coach/defensive coordinator for the United States Merchant Marine Academy (1992-1994), was a graduate assistant at Syracuse (1990-1991) and was a part-time running backs coach at Wagner (1990) and the Merchant Marine Academy (1989-1990).
Anarumo (pronounced ann-ah-ROO-mo) is a native of Staten Island, N.Y. and earned his bachelor's degree in special education from Wagner in 1990. He got his coaching start while in college as the head junior varsity coach at Susan Wagner High School in Staten Island.
