The Giants requested to interview a head coach candidate who may be a far worse option than most people realize
The Giants’ request to interview a head coach candidate is raising concerns, with many overlooking why he could be one of their worst options.
The New York Giants’ head coaching search is underway now that the 2025 NFL season is over. As New York looks for the right man to right the ship, it’s sending out requests for interviews.
Per NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, one of the first interviews they’ll conduct will be with Indianapolis Colts defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo. Now that he’s officially in the mix, what is Anarumo’s background, and is he a worthy option?
Colts DC Lou Anarumo’s background
Anarumo has been a name linked to the Giants’ head coach opening since they fired Brian Daboll in November. At the time, the Colts were a hot team with a defense that was leading the charge toward a playoff berth. Fast-forward to after Week 18, the Colts missed the playoffs and skidded out due to injuries.
A prime reason Anarumo was brought into the coaching search is his connection to New York. He’s from Staten Island and attended Wagner College, where he began his coaching career in 1989.
Since serving as the team’s running backs coach for a year, he went on to hold coaching positions in New York on three different occasions. One of which was with the New York Giants in 2018 on Pat Shurmur’s staff.
He went on to serve as the Cincinnati Bengals’ defensive coordinator for six seasons before being fired at the end of the 2024 season. Additionally, Anarumo was previously interviewed by the Giants for their head coach opening in 2022, when they hired Brian Daboll.
Is Lou Anarumo worth hiring?
The Bengals’ defensive collapse in 2024 was stark and a primary reason the team missed the playoffs that season. Due to this, it was justified that he was fired, but did he do enough this year to wash away those failures?
This season, the Colts’ defense was pretty mediocre, which is a common misconception that he was leading an elite group. They finished 23rd in yards per game allowed, 21st in points per game allowed, 31st in pass yards per game allowed, and 7th in rush yards per game allowed. Additionally, the Colts were 19th in EPA per play allowed, 19th in EPA per pass allowed, and 15th in EPA per rush allowed.
In his defense, the Colts did get banged up down the stretch on both sides of the ball, especially when star cornerback Sauce Gardner went down. But, these results don’t exactly scream that of a coach who is exceptionally successful and ready to take the next step.
Ultimately, the Giants aren’t hiring Anarumo with the intention of him calling the defense in 2026. The purpose is to find someone to lead the whole team. However, the results he’s produced over the last two years do not constitute him earning a shot to be a head coach. Anarumo needs more goodwill before he can be considered a serious contender for a role.
New York Giants News
The Giants’ coaching interview list signals a dramatic identity shift not seen in New York since Bill Parcells
ESPN’s Jordan Raanan shared the list of coaches the New York Giants intend to interview, and there seems to be a noticeable trend.
