Bengals fire defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo as part of staff shakeup
The story of the 2024 Cincinnati Bengals was a rare one. It's unusual to see a quarterback play at an MVP level, like Joe Burrow did, and his team miss the playoffs.
Someone had to pay the price, and it was clear that would be defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo. He wasn't the only one though.
Anarumo was fired on Monday, according to multiple reports. The Bengals also fired offensive line coach Frank Pollack, linebackers coach James Bettcher and defensive line coach Marion Hobby, according to Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic.
It was a significant fall for an assistant who was lauded for the job he did on the 2021 AFC championship Bengals. Anarumo got some head-coaching consideration after that season. Then the Bengals went 9-8 this season, missing the playoffs despite Burrow leading the NFL in passing yards and touchdown passes. A big issue was a defense that finished 25th in yards and points allowed.
Anarumo had been the Bengals' defensive coordinator since 2019, and was celebrated for his complex schemes. The Bengals had success against Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs, which was one reason Anarumo became a hot name in coaching circles. But the results for the defense had fallen off the past couple seasons. The Bengals finished 31st in yards allowed in 2023. The 2024 season wasn't much better.
Burrow led the NFL with 4,918 yards and 43 touchdowns, but that wasn't enough to make the playoffs. That put a lot of heat on Anarumo. The Bengals decided to fire him and other assistants after missing the playoffs. Anarumo might quickly resurface as a defensive coordinator with another team, but the Bengals wanted better results.
Bengals fire defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo, other coaches
The Cincinnati Bengals have started the coaching staff overhaul this offseason with the firing of defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo.
ESPN's Adam Schefter reported the news the morning after Cincinnati's season ended via playoff elimination during Sunday's games.
Anarumo's defense was marred with major issues that held the Bengals back despite Joe Burrow's offense getting an MVP-caliber showing from the quarterback and a Triple Crown winner in Ja'Marr Chase.
According to The Athletic's Paul Dehner Jr., the Bengals also fired offensive line coach Frank Pollack, linebacker coach James Bettcher and defensive line coach Marion Hobby.
The firings come along areas that not only underperformed but failed to get the most out of notable developmental draft picks.
Making the case for and against Bengals firing Zac Taylor
Bengals draft pick set following Week 18, second straight missed postseason
Bengals' immediate offseason to-do list to get back to NFL playoffs
This article originally appeared on Bengals Wire: Bengals fire defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo, other coaches
Source: Bengals fire DC Lou Anarumo after missing playoffs
CINCINNATI -- The Bengals have fired defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter on Monday.
Anarumo was part of coach Zac Taylor's original staff when Taylor was hired in 2019. Anarumo played an integral role in the team's turnaround from the worst team in the AFC North to playing in the franchise's first Super Bowl in 33 years.
Cincinnati also fired offensive line coach Frank Pollack, defensive line coach Marion Hobby and linebackers coach James Bettcher, a source confirmed to ESPN. Those dismissals were first reported by The Athletic.
Cincinnati's defense struggled in each of the past two seasons as the Bengals missed the postseason in 2023 and 2024 after winning back-to-back division championships and making deep playoff runs. This season, Cincinnati finished 26th in points allowed per drive and was 30th in the NFL in defensive red zone efficiency, according to ESPN Research.
A significant change was required after the Bengals squandered career years from quarterback Joe Burrow, wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase and defensive end Trey Hendrickson.
Burrow, who was coming off a major wrist surgery on this throwing hand, finished the season as the league leader in passing touchdowns (43) and passing yards (4,918). Chase won the receiving triple crown after topping his peers in the three major categories (1,708 yards, 17 touchdowns, 127 receptions). And Hendrickson led all players with 17.5 sacks.
Anarumo's unit turned things around toward the end of the season. In the team's five-game win streak, Cincinnati was fifth in opposing scoring defense. However, it wasn't enough for him to avoid major changes on the staff.
Bengals fire Lou Anarumo: Cincinnati defensive coordinator among several coaches let go after missing playoffs
After missing out on the postseason, the Cincinnati Bengals are making some changes to the coaching staff, particularly at the top of their defensive masthead. On Monday, the team fired defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo after six seasons with the franchise, CBS Sports NFL Insider Jonathan Jones reports.
Jones adds that other changes to the defensive staff are also expected. That looks to include linebackers coach James Bettcher and defensive line coach Marion Hobby, as The Athletic reports they have both been let go along with offensive line coach Frank Pollack.
Changes were expected for the Bengals after they failed to reach the postseason despite a 5-0 record to end the regular season. That proved to be too little, too late. The franchise was plagued by poor play to begin the year, which contributed to the 1-4 record they dug themselves into over the first month. A lot of that was due to the defense, which surrendered 25.5 points per game throughout the regular season (tied for fifth-most in the NFL).
Cincinnati's defense struggled to get off the field on third down, allowing a 42% conversion rate on the key down, ranking in the bottom third in the league. That inability to force opposing offenses off the field was abundantly clear in the red zone as well, where the Bengals allowed teams to score touchdowns on 67.9% of trips (third most in the league).
Given that lack of production, heads were bound to roll, and it has started with Anarumo departing Zac Taylor's staff.
That said, Anarumo, 58, is a widely respected coordinator who shouldn't struggle to find a new job somewhere in the NFL. He initially joined the Bengals back in 2019 and was able to help the franchise to a Super Bowl appearance during the 2021 season. In 2022, Cincinnati's defense ranked sixth in total points allowed and eighth in takeaways, so his ability to coach elite units shouldn't go unnoticed.
Bengals fire defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo as part of staff shakeup
The story of the 2024 Cincinnati Bengals was a rare one. It's unusual to see a quarterback play at an MVP level, like Joe Burrow did, and his team miss the playoffs.
Someone had to pay the price, and it was clear that would be defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo. He wasn't the only one though.
Anarumo was fired on Monday, according to multiple reports. The Bengals also fired offensive line coach Frank Pollack, linebackers coach James Bettcher and defensive line coach Marion Hobby, according to Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic.
It was a significant fall for an assistant who was lauded for the job he did on the 2021 AFC championship Bengals. Anarumo got some head-coaching consideration after that season. Then the Bengals went 9-8 this season, missing the playoffs despite Burrow leading the NFL in passing yards and touchdown passes. A big issue was a defense that finished 25th in yards and points allowed.
Anarumo had been the Bengals' defensive coordinator since 2019, and was celebrated for his complex schemes. The Bengals had success against Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs, which was one reason Anarumo became a hot name in coaching circles. But the results for the defense had fallen off the past couple seasons. The Bengals finished 31st in yards allowed in 2023. The 2024 season wasn't much better.
Burrow led the NFL with 4,918 yards and 43 touchdowns, but that wasn't enough to make the playoffs. That put a lot of heat on Anarumo. The Bengals decided to fire him and other assistants after missing the playoffs. Anarumo might quickly resurface as a defensive coordinator with another team, but the Bengals wanted better results.
Bengals fire defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo, other coaches
The Cincinnati Bengals have started the coaching staff overhaul this offseason with the firing of defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo.
ESPN's Adam Schefter reported the news the morning after Cincinnati's season ended via playoff elimination during Sunday's games.
Anarumo's defense was marred with major issues that held the Bengals back despite Joe Burrow's offense getting an MVP-caliber showing from the quarterback and a Triple Crown winner in Ja'Marr Chase.
According to The Athletic's Paul Dehner Jr., the Bengals also fired offensive line coach Frank Pollack, linebacker coach James Bettcher and defensive line coach Marion Hobby.
The firings come along areas that not only underperformed but failed to get the most out of notable developmental draft picks.
Making the case for and against Bengals firing Zac Taylor
Bengals draft pick set following Week 18, second straight missed postseason
Bengals' immediate offseason to-do list to get back to NFL playoffs
This article originally appeared on Bengals Wire: Bengals fire defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo, other coaches
Source: Bengals fire DC Lou Anarumo after missing playoffs
CINCINNATI -- The Bengals have fired defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter on Monday.
Anarumo was part of coach Zac Taylor's original staff when Taylor was hired in 2019. Anarumo played an integral role in the team's turnaround from the worst team in the AFC North to playing in the franchise's first Super Bowl in 33 years.
Cincinnati also fired offensive line coach Frank Pollack, defensive line coach Marion Hobby and linebackers coach James Bettcher, a source confirmed to ESPN. Those dismissals were first reported by The Athletic.
Cincinnati's defense struggled in each of the past two seasons as the Bengals missed the postseason in 2023 and 2024 after winning back-to-back division championships and making deep playoff runs. This season, Cincinnati finished 26th in points allowed per drive and was 30th in the NFL in defensive red zone efficiency, according to ESPN Research.
A significant change was required after the Bengals squandered career years from quarterback Joe Burrow, wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase and defensive end Trey Hendrickson.
Burrow, who was coming off a major wrist surgery on this throwing hand, finished the season as the league leader in passing touchdowns (43) and passing yards (4,918). Chase won the receiving triple crown after topping his peers in the three major categories (1,708 yards, 17 touchdowns, 127 receptions). And Hendrickson led all players with 17.5 sacks.
Anarumo's unit turned things around toward the end of the season. In the team's five-game win streak, Cincinnati was fifth in opposing scoring defense. However, it wasn't enough for him to avoid major changes on the staff.
Bengals fire Lou Anarumo: Cincinnati defensive coordinator among several coaches let go after missing playoffs
After missing out on the postseason, the Cincinnati Bengals are making some changes to the coaching staff, particularly at the top of their defensive masthead. On Monday, the team fired defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo after six seasons with the franchise, CBS Sports NFL Insider Jonathan Jones reports.
Jones adds that other changes to the defensive staff are also expected. That looks to include linebackers coach James Bettcher and defensive line coach Marion Hobby, as The Athletic reports they have both been let go along with offensive line coach Frank Pollack.
Changes were expected for the Bengals after they failed to reach the postseason despite a 5-0 record to end the regular season. That proved to be too little, too late. The franchise was plagued by poor play to begin the year, which contributed to the 1-4 record they dug themselves into over the first month. A lot of that was due to the defense, which surrendered 25.5 points per game throughout the regular season (tied for fifth-most in the NFL).
Cincinnati's defense struggled to get off the field on third down, allowing a 42% conversion rate on the key down, ranking in the bottom third in the league. That inability to force opposing offenses off the field was abundantly clear in the red zone as well, where the Bengals allowed teams to score touchdowns on 67.9% of trips (third most in the league).
Given that lack of production, heads were bound to roll, and it has started with Anarumo departing Zac Taylor's staff.
That said, Anarumo, 58, is a widely respected coordinator who shouldn't struggle to find a new job somewhere in the NFL. He initially joined the Bengals back in 2019 and was able to help the franchise to a Super Bowl appearance during the 2021 season. In 2022, Cincinnati's defense ranked sixth in total points allowed and eighth in takeaways, so his ability to coach elite units shouldn't go unnoticed.
