Former Bengals coach has favorable connections on his side for the promotion he’s interviewing to land
Lou Anarumo is back in the news of the NFL hiring cycle.
Former Cincinnati Bengals defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo is interviewing to become the next head coach for the New York Giants.
Anarumo, currently the DC for the Indianapolis Colts, is interviewing with New York Tuesday. He’s one of several candidates for the job, including former Baltimore Ravens HC John Harbaugh.
But Anarumo isn’t just another name in the Giants’ search; he comes with history as well.
Lou Anarumo has obvious ties to New York and its notable executive
Advancing your career in any industry often comes down to who you know, and Anarumo knows his way around the Giants and where they operate. Anarumo was born in Staten Island, NY, and his first coaching gig in 1989 was for his alma mater Wagner College, where he coached running backs. Nearly 30 years later, he returned to the area to coach defensive backs for New York’s NFC franchise.
Anarumo not only has worn Giants colors before on the sidelines, he’s coached under their general manager before as well.
Joe Schoen was hired as New York’s GM in 2022, but he was a national scout for the Miami Dolphins from 2008-2012. He was promoted to assistant director of college scouting in 2013, and then director of player personnel in 2014, a role he held through 2016.
Anarumo was Miami’s DB coach from 2012-17, and also had a brief stint as the interim DC in 2015. Most of his time with the Dolphins coincided with Schoen’s run with the club.
Since they last worked together in 2017, Anarumo has been enhancing his coaching resume. He spent six years coordinating Cincinnati’s defense from 2019-2024, and his play-calling and schemes against some of the best quarterbacks in the league eventually made him a potential HC candidate, particularly in the 2023 offseason when he got close to being hired by the Arizona Cardinals. That gig went to former Philadelphia Eagles DC Jonathan Gannon, who was fired this month.
Anarumo himself was canned last year by the Bengals following two down years for their defense, but he was quickly hired by the Indianapolis Colts for the same role. Indy’s 2025 defense regressed in terms of EPA/play and success rate allowed compared to 2024, but it also dealt with major injuries throughout the season, including star cornerback Sauce Gardner.
Anarumo will turn 60 years old later this year, and defensive coaches don’t often get promoted to lead an entire staff, but the Giants feel like his best bet to finally become a HC. He’s got the connections that no other candidate has, including Harbaugh.
If he finally gets the promotion he’s been vying for since the early part of the decade, it would be no surprise to see his hometown team take that chance with him.
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