Two years ago, Indianapolis Colts’ defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo was a serious contender for the head coaching position with the Arizona Cardinals. A year later, he was essentially run out of his job as DC with the Cincinnati Bengals, where he had been for five seasons, and whom he had helped take to the Super Bowl in 2022.
And now, in the fickle world of NFL football, the New York City native is once again hearing his name linked to potential head coaching jobs when the 2025 season concludes. His work with a depleted Colts’ defense this season has Dr. Lou back on the radar of teams in need of fresh energy and a creative defensive mind.
Whether that results in his first head coaching gig remains iffy. These days, franchises seem enamored by the “young offensive genius,” in the mold of Sean McVay and Kyle Shanahan.
The success of Ben Johnson in Chicago has done nothing to slow that trend. But up in New England, Mike Vrabel has provided living proof of just how effective a somewhat older, defensive-minded coach can be in the modern NFL.
Lou Anarumo’s most likely landing spots were he to leave the Colts
Anarumo turns 60 just before the start of the 2026 season, and he hasn’t coached offense since 1989 at Wagner College. Still, with a lot of turnover expected this offseason and without many big names on the market, he has been linked to several clubs.
Most of his revived rep has come from the work he has done with the Colts this season. Despite missing key contributors like DeForest Buckner, Charvarius Ward, Jaylon Jones, Jaylon Carlies, Justin Walley, Hunter Wohlers, and most recently, Sauce Gardner, for much or all of the season, Anarumo’s defense has improved on last year’s performance under Gus Bradley across the board.
The Colts have moved from near the bottom of the league in both yards and points in 2024 to the middle in 2025. They remain one of the least penalized defenses while still being quite good at producing turnovers. The Colts have been known for their offensive prowess for most of the year, but as that unit has faltered late in the season, the defense has kept them competitive.
That was on full display in Week 14 on the road against a formidable Seattle Seahawks squad. The Colts held Seattle more than ten points below their season average and very nearly pulled off a major upset.
Almost as beneficial to Anarumo’s resume is the way the Bengals’ defense has imploded this season under new defensive coordinator Al Golden. They may have been near the bottom in many key stats under Anarumo in 2024, but this season, they are dead last in almost every significant category, including points, yards, and yards per play.
Maybe Dr. Lou was not the problem in Cincinnati after all.
So where might he end up? Of the eight teams most likely to have openings this offseason, here are three tiers to consider.
No chance - Cincinnati Bengals, Arizona Cardinals
The idea of Anarumo returning to the Bengals one year after being scapegoated for their problems could make for a good sitcom, but the chances of it really happening are just about zero. As for the Cardinals, they chose Jonathan Gannon over Anarumo two years ago. If they do let Gannon go, they will most likely look for an offensive coach who can figure out how to get the most out of Kyler Murray.
Doubtful - Cleveland Browns, Tennessee Titans, Atlanta Falcons, Miami Dolphins
Some of these make sense but do not seem likely. Cleveland and Tennessee have young quarterbacks who would benefit from a QB-friendly coach. If I were the Falcons, I would look long and hard at Anarumo.
If he could identify a talented offensive coordinator to join him, I think that would be a great fit. The Falcons will not have a lot of roster flexibility this offseason and Anarumo has shown the ability to scheme around roster holes in the past.
Miami should be a leading contender, but Stephen Ross has only hired one defensive-minded coach, and that experience with Bryan Flores did not end well. If he fires Mike McDaniel, he will bring in the next flavor-of-the-week offensive genius.
Possible - Las Vegas Raiders, New York Giants
Anarumo has been mentioned, at least via the rumor mill, as a possibility for both teams. I’m not sure why anyone would want to go to the Raiders. They are a trainwreck. At least they have cap space and draft picks to begin a rebuild.
But the Raiders have very questionable upper management, and it is hard to imagine any coach having success there in the short term. Still, Anarumo might be an attractive candidate after the failure of Pete Carroll this season.
The Giants may be the most likely landing spot for Anarumo. The New York native was with the club for one season just before being hired by the Bengals. Apart from one season under Steve Spagnuolo, New York has not really had a defensive-minded head coach since the glory days of Bill Parcells.
They have a fair amount of young talent on their defense that could grow into a tough unit under someone like Anarumo. This is probably Dr. Lou’s best chance at getting a top spot this season. And were he to go to New York, do not be surprised to see assistants James Bettcher and Jerome Henderson go with him as defensive coordinator and pass game coordinator.
As for who might take his place with the Colts, well, we’ll talk about that if and when it becomes necessary. We only like to engage in one piece of speculation at a time.