Lou Anarumo couldn't be what the Bengals needed him to be anymore

During Lou Anarumo’s introductory press conference with the Bengals in 2019, the questions focused on his lack of experience as a defensive coordinator and his readiness for the role on a very young coaching staff.

Anarumo stressed that while he hadn’t coordinated a defense before, he had been coaching for two decades. He promised that he had learned a thing or two along the way.

“The league is so volatile that one day it’s this,” Anarumo said, smiling in his suit. “And the next day, there’s the door.”

The process that led to hiring Anarumo was Zac Taylor’s first roller coaster as candidates dropped in and out of the search process. Anarumo — a defensive backs coach who no one had heard of — was undoubtedly a success during his six years with the Bengals.

One day, you’re the talk of the NFL for your game plans against Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes. On Monday, he got the door.

Six years was a very long run. We all know how much the Bengals have changed since 2019. Anarumo isn’t the right man for the job they need him to fill right now.

Anarumo was perfect in 2021. The Bengals — whose front office empowers coaches to scout and develop the vision for free agency — had the resources to splurge for a No. 1 pass rusher, a No. 1 corner, the best nose tackle in the league, the best slot corner in the league and a safety who fit the system like a glove.

Anarumo masterfully built that defense.

The turning point for the entire group was at the end of the 2022 season. Anarumo will always be able to say in any interview or any conversation with a fan who sees him on the street, “We should have kept Jessie Bates.”

That one is the front office’s fault. But Anarumo wasn’t able to help the Bengals escape that mistake.

Anarumo’s defensive system is all about continuity, chemistry, experience and communication. It was perfect for Chidobe Awuzie, Mike Hilton, Vonn Bell, Bates and Co. to run.

The enemy of the system is young defensive backs.

2022 was Anarumo’s master class and the group had the best passing defense in the NFL. Dax Hill couldn’t see the field on that team, and Anarumo gave an impassioned explanation to the media for why he wasn’t playing Hill. Anarumo promised that he’d never rotate defensive backs, and he spoke about the years-long process of getting up to speed. He believed in Hill, but it wasn’t Hill’s time yet.

The Bengals can’t live that way anymore because of what they’re spending on offense now.

The Bengals need a coordinator who — like the Chargers, the Vikings, the Steelers, the Commanders and others — can stitch together an adequate defense with gum and toothpicks. It’s a completely different skill set, getting fifth-round rookies in position to not implode when they face a superstar receiver.

The Bengals can’t afford to build the defense “Lou’s way” anymore. He’ll probably do a good job with that somewhere else in 2025 with a team that gives him more flexibility.

Anarumo will shine as a schemer wherever he coaches. He’ll also likely partner with a front office that accentuates the traits that have shown up as his weaknesses.

The state of the Bengals’ defense is far from entirely Anarumo’s fault.

The Bengals’ front office failed to build this group. There was a disconnect in the process of getting guys that fit Anarumo’s defense.

There was a lack of vision and understanding for how draft picks would translate onto the field. Almost every Bengals draft pick over the last few seasons ended up in a different role than the Bengals drafted them to fill (like Myles Murphy mostly playing run stopping snaps or Dax Hill having to move to corner).

The front office was not good enough at identifying the traits and talents that Anarumo’s defense needed. And then Anarumo struggled with those pieces during the season.

Again, there was a disconnect in the process. A new defensive coordinator with a “plug and play” approach could bridge that gap. The new defensive coordinator has to give the Bengals more as a draft evaluator. He has to link better with the front office in terms of explaining exactly what traits and roles really matter. He has to have a system that lets those draft picks play fast and play to their strengths right from the jump.

These are different skills than Anarumo brought to the table.

The more confidence that the front office has in these skills from their new defensive coordinator, the more sense it makes to pay and keep Tee Higgins.

It’ll be almost impossible for the new coordinator to match Anarumo’s upside. The 2022 defense in particular fit perfectly together and unlocked scheme concept and game plan wrinkles that made Anarumo a star. Watching Bates, Bell, Awuzie and Hilton work together in the secondary changed a lot of the way I view defensive football.

But this isn’t the world we lived in five minutes ago. The 2024 Bengals wrapped up the season with the positive feelings of a five-game winning streak that included some much better play on defense. There was improvement, but there was much, much more bad quarterback play from the offenses the Bengals were facing.

Taylor put more stock into the moments that kept the Bengals out of the playoffs, including inexcusable meltdowns against the Ravens, Chargers and Steelers. That was the season, and that cost Anarumo his job.

There are pieces to work with here for whoever gets the job next. There are physical, young defensive linemen with draft pedigree who hustle and work hard. I’m still a believer that there’s another level for Logan Wilson, who has always been a well-above average linebacker when healthy.

There’s the blend of fast, long defensive backs who have some ball skills. Those guys’ potential are waiting to be unlocked. There’s also flexibility, cap space and few square pegs locked into starting spots.

There’s also Joe Burrow, who will be an attraction to any available coach. He represents a path to a Super Bowl (and head coaching interviews around the league for assistant coaches who have a big part in that run).

For the Bengals to reach these ultimate team goals, Zac Taylor, the front office and Burrow and Co. needed help. The new defensive coordinator will be a very impactful hire that will shape where the entire organization is trending.