The Colts hired Lou Anarumo as their defensive coordinator this week and he’ll be bringing a Bengals colleague with him to Indianapolis.
Tom Pelissero of NFL Media reports that the Colts are hiring James Bettcher as their linebackers coach. Bettcher held the same role in Cincinnati for the last three seasons.
Bettcher was with the 49ers as a senior defensive assistant in 2021 and had a pair of stints as a defensive coordinator before making those stops. He was with the Giants in 2017 and 2018 and he had a three-year stint running the defense in Arizona.
The Colts have not announced any changes to their staff other than the addition of Anarumo at this point.
The Colts hired Lou Anarumo to replace Gus Bradley at defensive coordinator, giving Anarumo a fresh start after he’d been dismissed by the Bengals.
Indianapolis ranked No. 24 in points allowed and No. 29 in yards allowed last season under Bradley, a year after finishing No. 28 in points allowed and No. 24 in yards allowed. But Anarumo told reporters on Thursday that he doesn’t necessarily think the Colts need a complete retooling in 2025.
“I just started evaluating these guys and look from afar, but we’ve got some good players on this defense,” Anarumo said in his introductory press conference on Thursday.
Anarumo pointed out that the Colts do have at least a player on each level of the defense that’s been to a Pro Bowl at some point in his career. So as he gets to know the personnel, he’ll be able to figure out just how to put them in a position to succeed.
“I think one of the things that we’ll hang our hat on will be we’re always going to try to be a smart, fast, and physical team. Those three things,” Anarumo said. “You don’t want to beat yourself in this league. You want to make sure that guys know where their help is on every down. No unforced errors. Things like that where you can eliminate and win games by just allowing the other team to make their mistakes. And we’re going to stay steadfast.
“If you don’t play fast, you don’t have a chance. And certainly coming from the AFC North, it’s a physical division and certainly that’s — everybody in football prides themselves on that, but that’s certainly something we’ll bring home as well.”
In six seasons as Cincinnati’s defensive coordinator, the Bengals’ best finishes were in 2022 when the club was No. 6 in points allowed and No. 16 in yards allowed. In 2024, the Bengals ranked No. 25 in yards allowed and points allowed.
The Colts made their hire of Lou Anarumo as their new defensive coordinator official on Tuesday.
Anarumo joins the Colts after serving as the Bengals’ defensive coordinator the past six seasons. He brings 36 years of coaching experience to Indianapolis 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 in a statement. “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.”
Anarumo spent seven seasons as a defensive backs coach for the Dolphins (2012-2017) and Giants (2018) before landing in Cincinnati. He also served as the Dolphins’ interim defensive coordinator in 2015 under interim head coach Dan Campbell.
Before making the jump to the NFL in 2012, Anarumo coached at the college level for 23 years.
Anaumo coached defensive backs for Purdue from 2004-11 and was Marshall’s defensive backs coach from 2001-03. He doubled as the Thundering Herd’s special teams coordinator in 2003.
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.
The NFL Players Association names a Community MVP for each week of the regular season and those players are eligible to be named the winner of the Alan Page Community Award at the end of the season.
On Tuesday, the NFLPA announced five finalists for the award. They are Vikings defensive back Camryn Bynum, Saints linebacker Demario Davis, Ravens running back Derrick Henry, Colts center Ryan Kelly, and Giants wide receiver Darius Slayton.
Bynum treated 25 children from the Minnesota area to a $100 shopping spree, dinner, and other prizes while Davis was honored for providing and helping construct 100 new beds at a Covenant House shelter for young people dealing with homelessness. Henry distributed 465 winter coats to elementary school students in Baltimore, Kelly provided pregnancy resources for hundreds of families, and Slayton organized a holiday event for dozens of families in need in December.
All five finalists will receive a $10,000 donation to their foundation or the charity of their choice. The winner, who will be named in New Orleans ahead of the Super Bowl next month, will receive an additional $100,000 donation.
The Colts have found their next defensive coordinator.
Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reports that they are finalizing a deal to hire Lou Anarumo to run their defense. The Colts fired Gus Bradley after the end of the regular season.
That is also when the Bengals dismissed Anarumo. He was hired in Cincinnati along with head coach Zac Taylor in 2019 and helped the team make it to the Super Bowl after the 2021 season, but the Bengals defense fell on hard times the last couple of years.
The Colts will be hoping that the change of scenery leads to a return to better results for Anarumo. If he can’t turn things around and the Colts fail to find their way to a better record, there may be more widepread changes in Indianapolis at this time next year.