Colts Pass on Former Cardinals Coach; Hire New DC

ARIZONA -- Former Arizona Cardinals HC Steve Wilks will not be the Indianapolis Colts' defensive coordinator, as the organization is reportedly bringing on former Cincinnati Bengals DC Lou Anarumo.

The #Colts are expected to hire former #Bengals DC Lou Anarumo as their new defensive coordinator, a big hire for Shane Steichen’s staff, per the Insiders.

After moving on from Gus Bradley, Indy lands one of the top targets on the market. pic.twitter.com/mLW04X7zZb
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 20, 2025

Anarumo previously interviewed for the Cardinals' recent head coach vacancy before Arizona hired Jonathan Gannon.

After the Colts moved on from previous coordinator Gus Bradley, Wilks was thought to be a top candidate to take the reigns as a defensive coordinator, something he last did with the San Francisco 49ers during their Super Bowl run in 2023.

How bad must things have been with Steve Wilks last year?

His defense was 3rd in PPG allowed and 8th in yards allowed. No one in the world would've said that was a bad hire.

The 49ers KNEW they'd have a tiny pool of replacements to choose from, and they STILL fired him.
— Rob “Stats” Guerrera (@StatsOnFire) January 20, 2025

He spent this past season with the Charlotte 49ers as a volunteer assistant and also interviewed with the Atlanta Falcons, who also passed on Wilks to hire Jeff Ulbrich.

Wilks led the Cardinals for just one season, taking over the throne for Bruce Arians back in 2018 - though he was fired by owner Michael Bidwill after just one season, leading the Cardinals to just three wins.

The firing prompted Kliff Kingsbury - and soon after Kyler Murray - to Arizona while Wilks became the defensive coordinator of the Cleveland Browns, where he also only lasted one season.

After spending 2021 with the Missouri Tigers at the college level, Wilks returned to the NFL in 2022 as the Carolina Panthers' secondary coach. Wilks took over for a fired Matt Rhule midseason and led the Panthers to a 6-6 record, receiving support from the locker room before not being hired permanently.

As previously mentioned, Wilks helped lead the 49ers to the Super Bowl in 2023 but was ultimately fired by head coach Kyle Shanahan.

"It was a really tough decision," Shanahan told reporters. "It says nothing about Steve as a man or a football coach. He was exactly what we wanted as a man. He's a great football coach.

"But just where we are and where we are going as football team from a scheme standpoint and things like it, looking through it all throughout the year and these last few days, I felt pretty strongly this was what was best for our organization."

We'll see where Wilks ends up in the future - though multiple interviews in the same cycle should be an encouraging sign.