Bengals fire defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo, multiple assistants

The Cincinnati Bengals have made a change after a disappointing campaign where they missed the playoffs, firing defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

He’s not the only head rolling on Monday. The franchise also parted ways with a myriad of assistants, including offensive coach Frank Pollack, linebackers coach James Bettcher, and defensive line coach Marion Hobby, per Jordan Schultz of FOX Sports.

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Anarumo joined Zac Taylor and the Bengals as their defensive coordinator in 2019, after a litany of seasons as a defensive assistant elsewhere. Namely, he spent most of his time prior in the NFL as a defensive backs coach, with the Miami Dolphins and the New York Giants.

The Staten Island native became a hot name in the coaching world after helping the Bengals reach the Super Bowl, but the shine has worn off a bit in the time since. Cincinnati has struggled despite their impressive offense, and somebody had to take the fall for the Bengals missing the playoffs this season, and it’s evident the buck stopped with their defensive coordinator.

Moving forward, it’s possible Anarumo doesn’t have to wait long for his next gig. He could find a defensive coordinator opening in quick fashion, and many around the league expect that to be the case. Still, it might’ve been best for him to move on with a different franchise, and it’s evident that’s the decision the Bengals came to over the past couple of days.

All told, Cincinnati has a bright future, as long as they continue to employ Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase as part of their team. The team lost some painstakingly close contests this season, and they still came within a game of making it to the playoffs at 9-8. It’s easy to see why the franchise believes they’re only a couple of moves away from getting back to the standard they’d like to play at.

While it’s never right to celebrate being fired, Lou Anarumo will likely land on his feet elsewhere. As for the Bengals, it’ll be fascinating to see what direction they move on defense, as their offense is one of the stronger units in the entire league.