NFL coaches know how the drill works. A team succeeds, and plenty of assistant coaches are going to get calls from other teams for promotions. Or a long-time coordinator might just be run through the head coach cycle as a matter of habit. That happened this offseason with defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo.
Anarumo has been a DC in the NFL for eight seasons and with three different teams. He's clearly made solid connections along the way, and his co-workers seemingly respect him. He's a no-nonsense coach, but a fair one. Some teams might question his overall quality, though.
That is based on the fact that Anarumo hasn't yet gotten a chance to be a head coach. He interviewed with three teams this offseason for their open head coaching vacancies - the Buffalo Bills, Tennessee Titans, and New York Giants - but they all came to the same conclusion: They'd rather have someone else.
Indianapolis Colts defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo didn't hear his name called for head coach promotion
The Bills stayed in-house and promoted Joe Brady from offensive coordinator to head coach. This likely came with the stamp of approval from Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen. Any coaching hire would have had to be something that Allen was good with.
Leaving Anarumo out of that spot made sense. Brady had a working relationship with Josh Allen. Lou Anarumo didn't.
The Giants hired the recently fired John Harbaugh. Harbaugh was let go by the Baltimore Ravens after the season. No offense to the Colts defensive coordinator, but his resume pales in comparison to Harbaugh's. Harbaugh has won a Super Bowl and been a head coach for nearly two decades.
Any team choosing Anarumo over Harbaugh would have its ownership and executive group questioned. Harbaugh is the wiser choice, as he would be over nearly any other potential head coach.
The Titans' hire might have been the toughest one to take for the Indy DC. Tennessee chose to go with San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh. Saleh had been a head coach previously with the New York Jets, but he had been fired. The Titans still decided to go with Saleh's defensive vision over Anarumo's.
That could be because, statistically speaking, Robert Saleh has been a far better defensive coordinator in the NFL than Lou Anarumo has been. Anarumo has only had one of his defenses finish in the top 10 in points allowed, and that was when he was with the Cincinnati Bengals in 2022. He's never had a defense rank higher than 17th in total yards allowed.
In five seasons as a defensive coordinator (not counting his four seasons as a head coach), Saleh has had four of his defenses rank in the top 13 in points allowed. Twice, he has had a defense rank in the top 5 in yards allowed. But the comparison between Saleh and Anarumo might have been put to rest in 2025.
Both have injured defenses, though San Francisco lost future Hall of Famer Fred Warner and elite edge rusher Nick Bosa. Saleh still got his defense to finish 13th in points allowed. Anarumo's Indianapolis Colts finished 21st.
Maybe in the 2026 season, Lou Anarumo's defense will stay healthier, and the statistics will look good. If that happens, maybe Anarumo will have better luck finding a head coach position next offseason.