Tag: Lou Anarumo

Cincinnati Bengals’ star pass rusher Trey Hendrickson was on the Pat McAfee show and provided some insight into Lou Anarumo, the Indianapolis Colts’ new defensive coordinator.

“I was blessed to be productive under his scheme,” said Hendrickson. “I think he does a good job of making it a very open room, meaning like you can talk to him about scheme–this doesn’t necessarily fit to what we think we’re going to do to attack them. Very organic and he’s a leader of elite men. He got guys at 4-8 to rally behind a cause and continue to win football games.”

Bengals DE Trey Hendrickson talks about #Colts DC Lou Anarumo on @PatMcAfeeShow:

“He does a good job of making it an open room meaning you can talk to him about scheme.”

“He’s a leader of elite men. I love him and he’s a great friend to me. He’s been a tremendous mentor.” pic.twitter.com/YaEskQZ0az

— Noah Compton (@nerlens_) February 5, 2025

During his introductory press conference, Anarumo said that he was going to be a “truth teller.” It’s his job to let the players know whether they are doing it right or wrong.

Based on Hendrickson’s comments, that truth-telling very much goes both ways with Anarumo’s players being comfortable enough to share ideas and how the gameplan can be built differently.

That also speaks to the adaptability of Anarumo’s scheme and the weekly game-plans that are constructed.

Anarumo was dubbed the ‘Mad Scientist’ during his time with the Bengals for his ability to disguise what the defense is doing to keep quarterbacks off-balanced and guessing.

In part, this is accomplished with late movement, versatile defenders who can handle a variety of roles, along with utilizing a variety of coverage looks. A wide-ranging coaching background has also helped build out an extensive and flexible defensive playbook.

Hendrickson played four seasons under Anarumo and has been one of the most disruptive pass rushers during that span.

“I love him. He’s a great friend to me,” added Hendrickson. “He was a mentor to me as well with some of the struggles that happen as you become a successful player and through that he’s been a tremendous mentor and I wish him nothing but the best.”

The Indianapolis Colts’ defense under new coordinator Lou Anarumo is going to look a bit different than it did under Gus Bradley.

You don’t get the nickname the ‘Mad Scientist’ as Anarumo did by accident. A nickname like that goes beyond a defense’s final numbers in a given game or over the course of the season. Instead, that nickname is earned by how the defense manufactures that production.

A key element of Anarumo’s defense is versatility. This allows defenders to fill a variety of roles within the scheme and gives Anarumo to disguise what the defense is doing. Opposing offenses won’t necessarily know the role of a specific player just because of where they are aligned or who is on the field.

In a conference that features Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, Justin Herbert, Joe Burrow, and others at quarterback, keeping opposing offenses guessing to at least some degree is a must. Otherwise, these quarterbacks will easily pick apart a static defense.

“You have to be flexible and multiple, when you are playing the quarterbacks, especially on our side in the AFC, it lends to not just, ‘You’re going to be in this coverage and you’re going to stay in that and it’s going to be a long day,’” Anarumo said via 107.5 The Fan.

“And then going through the playoffs and the Super Bowl, you have to keep those great quarterbacks off balance, I think you have to make them uncomfortable. Even the best ones, you are not going to fool them all day, but it it’s in the most critical situation, that’s what you are hoping to do. We’ve had some success doing that.”

Helping Anarumo achieve that chaos-causing element on defense is his expansive playbook that has been built and sculpted by each stop he’s made in his coaching career.

Taking a few concepts from each stop has resulted in a scheme that can quickly adapt on the fly and one that adjusts week-to-week based on what the opponents do well.

In some respects, Anarumo’s defense is an amoeba, molding to who the opponent is.

“You are going to identify what the team does well, identify who the problem players are, where is the great receiver and what do we have to do to slow them down,” Anarumo says of his weekly approach. “Whoever or whatever the issues are we have to put them in front of the guys and say, ‘If we can take these guys away or minimize their damage in the game, we are going to give ourselves a chance to win.’”

Anarumo will be taking over a Colts’ defense that has finished in the bottom in scoring the last three seasons. In 2024 specifically, this group was plagued by big plays, missed tackles, and not coming with stops in crucial moments.

The standard that he sets for both himself and his players centers around consistency and truth-telling. Whether it be good or bad, the truth is what’s need to avoid complacency and can be the catalyst for progress.

“One of the things we will hang our hat on, we are always going to try and be a smart, fast, physical team,” Anarumo said. “You don’t want to beat yourself in this league. You want to make sure that guys know where their help is going to be every down. No unforced errors, where you can eliminate and win games by just allowing the team to make their mistakes, and we are going to stay steadfast.”

New Indianapolis Colts defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo made two things very clear during his introductory press conference on Thursday: he expects consistency from his players, and he is going to be a truth teller–whether good, bad, or indifferent.

“We ask these guys to be consistent as players,” said Anarumo via Locked on Colts. “I’ll stand up there in front of them and say the same thing I’m saying to you, I want you guys to do this. I don’t want a lot of that and they gotta expect the same thing from us.

“So my standard is going to be that I’m up there and I’m going to be a truth-teller. I’m going to tell them the truth. It’s my job to say, yes, you’re doing it right or no, you’re doing it wrong. That will happen and it’ll happen to all of them. I don’t care the number of years in the league. It’s just something I’ve always believed in.”

That truth-telling component is going to be an important element when it comes to battling the complacency and ego that has set in on this Colts team, something that defensive tackle DeForest Buckner discussed after the season and GM Chris Ballard agreed was an issue.

That ego issue is something that Buckner would say he could feel and see on tape. And it wasn’t only a player or two, but “a lot of guys” that contributed to the problem. As a leader, Buckner took responsibility for that.

Last season, the Colts’ defense would have its moments of strong play, but they were plagued by inconsistency, giving up too many big plays, continually missing tackles, and surrendering far too many points in the fourth quarter of games.

However, the most egregious performance came in Week 17 where the Colts needed a win to keep their playoff hopes alive, but the defense would instead surrender 38 points to a Giants’ offense that averaged just over 14 per game on the season.

Anarumo’s truth-telling philosophy and standard will be key in making sure that when things aren’t going well, players not only know what’s going wrong but how to fix it.

Also apart of the equation is Ballard and his willingness to bolster the competition on the roster so, again, complacency doesn’t set in.

For three straight seasons, the Colts’ defense has ranked in the bottom-third of the NFL in scoring.

“Good players, great players, want to be coached,” added Anarumo. “They want to know the truth. That’s always been the case and if they don’t then there’s probably a little bit of an issue there. But the best ones I’ve ever been around, ‘coach me, coach me hard, tell me what you want,’ and I’ve always found that to be true.”

The Indianapolis Colts have hired Lou Anarumo to be the team’s next defensive coordinator. To help provide us with some insight into this addition to the coaching staff, Chris Roling, the managing editor of Bengals Wire, was kind enough to answer a few questions.

Anarumo was fired by the Bengals following the conclusion of the 2024 regular season. Up until that point, he had been the Bengals defensive coordinator since 2019, which included orchestrating a top-five scoring defense in 2022 during the Bengals’ Super Bowl run, along with a number of impressive performances throughout the years against the game’s best quarterbacks.

Even at one point during his tenure with the Bengals, Anarumo was dubbed the ‘Mad Scientist’ for his ability to draw up creative game-plans on a weekly basis.

Now, for more on Anarumo, here is what Roling had to say:

Colts Wire: I guess let’s start with the obvious–the Bengals fired Anarumo. What went wrong that led to that?

Roling: Significant talent losses and an inability to replace them. The Bengals let Jessie Bates walk and he’s now an All-Pro in Atlanta. DJ Reader was a dominant force on the nose and left. They repeatedly misfired with big selections. Dax Hill, Bates’ supposed replacement, has since moved to corner. A hodgepodge of names couldn’t fill Reader’s spot and high-end cornerback picks like Cam Taylor-Britt have flopped.

These issues led to Anarumo leaning on past-their-prime guys like Sam Hubbard over first-rounder Myles Murphy. Whether the prospects simply weren’t ready, were bad picks or weren’t even liked by Anarumo compared to the front office is hard to say. But the unit didn’t recover until he “simplified” the defense late this season.

Colts Wire: When this defense was playing its best over the years, what did they do well under Anarumo?

Roling: Disguise, before and during games, is a big deal. It’s going to sound like an exaggeration, but he ran an almost amoeba defense that could modify to the opponent. Hence, stiffening up in a traditional sense to stop AFC North rushing-centric teams, then going out and flustering Patrick Mahomes’ pass-happy looks. His corners pressed and his exotic looks up front freed up rushers and kept his linebackers clean to angle and shut down.

Colts Wire: Conversely, are there any areas during Anarumo’s tenure that opponents regularly were able to take advantage of?

Roling:  It feels like just a Cincinnati thing predating even the Marvin Lewis years, but tight ends tended to give his units fits at times. But some of that might’ve been by design in a bend-but-don’t-break sense. Perhaps the concern now is, how much of his success was steered by Bates’ elite range in the deep backfield, which few guys in the league have?

Colts Wire: Some buzz words we are hearing about Anarumo is his ability to ‘disguise’ defensive looks and the importance of ‘versatility’ amongst the defenders. Are those key elements to making Anarumo’s defense go?

Roling: Versatility is huge. The ends have to be able to muscle up against the run. The linebackers need to cover. And the corners have to be physical at the line, blitz and play the run. That lends to adaptable gameplans where different players can spy a Lamar Jackson or something else. Big names aren’t a requirement though – guys like Eli Apple were able to have extremely strong seasons and rehab careers in his system if bought in and willing.

The risk for the Colts is the fact it all fell apart when Anarumo’s vision perhaps didn’t 100 percent align with the scouting department on personnel decisions and big prospects didn’t properly develop. Maybe just a Cincinnati thing, but something to watch.

The Indianapolis Colts are hiring Lou Anarumo to be their new defensive coordinator.

Previously, Anarumo was the defensive coordinator of the Cincinnati Bengals from 2019-2024. He will now be tasked with turning a Colts’ defense around that has ranked in the bottom-third of the NFL in scoring the last three seasons.

Let’s take a look at four things to know about the Colts’ new defensive play-caller.

A background in the secondary

Before becoming an NFL defensive coordinator, Anarumo’s background is rooted in the secondary. This is, as general manger Chris Ballard said, a position group for the Colts that has to improve.

The Colts’ secondary in 2024 allowed 7.6 yards per pass attempt–the fifth-most in football–and showcasing both the efficiency and big play ability that opposing quarterbacks had against this unit.

Now, to state the obvious, Ballard adding to this position group in free agency or with an early round pick can certainly help. But part of the turnaround is going to have to come with improved play from the players already on the roster.

The ‘Mad Scientist’

During his time with the Bengals, Anarumo was affectionately referred to as the ‘Mad Scientist.’ This was in reference to his ability to be flexible as a defensive coordinator, drawing up a wide variety of game-plans based on the opponent along disguising those defensive looks as well.

Also a part of that equation was Anarumo’s ability to mold his scheme to the strengths and skill-sets of the defenders he had on his roster.

It sounds simple to make those week-to-week adjustments based on the opponent or to not ask a player to fill a certain role just because that’s what your defense does, but that isn’t always common practice around the NFL. Rigidity hurts a lot of teams, including the Colts under Gus Bradley.

A more aggressive defense

Anarumo’s defenses don’t rank at the top of the NFL in blitz rate like Wink Martindale’s did–another coach that the Colts interviewed for this role–but they are much more aggressive than Bradley’s were.

Under Bradley, the Colts typically ranked near the bottom of the NFL in blitz rate, but the Bengals in 2024 were 12th in that category. In 2023, they ranked 14th.

The name of the game is getting after the quarterback and in instances when the pass rush isn’t getting home, the play-caller may have to help manufacture some pressures. This past year, the Colts ranked 26th in sacks and 22nd in pressure rate as a defense.

Bengals had a top defense during their Super Bowl run

During the 2022 NFL season when the Cincinnati Bengals made it to the Super Bowl and were on the cusp of winning it all, Anarumo had orchestrated one of the game’s top defenses that season.

Over the course of that year, the Bengals ranked fifth in scoring defense, which included them being particularly good against the run, finishing fifth in yards per carry allowed.