The Indianapolis Colts announced their official coaching staff changes for the 2025 season.
Our coaching staff is set for 2025.
— Indianapolis Colts (@Colts) February 21, 2025
After moving on from defensive coordinator Gus Bradley after the season, that role had to be filled and there were also some other changes on the defensive side of the ball with a few positional coaches.
As we all know, the Colts hired Lou Anarumo to be the new defensive coordinator. The ‘Mad Scientist’ as he was dubbed in Cincinnati, spent the last six seasons as the Bengals defensive coordinator.
With Anarumo at the helm, some of the changes we are going to see defensively from the Colts includes more blitzing and more Cover-1 looks.
This is also a scheme under Anarumo that values versatility and the ability to disguise coverages to keep quarterbacks and offenses off-balanced and guessing.
“Going through the playoffs and things like that and to the Super Bowl, you have to keep those great quarterbacks off balance,” Anarumo said via ESPN.
“I think you have to make them uncomfortable. Even the best ones, at times, you’re not going to fool them all day. But if it’s in the most critical situation, that’s what you’re hoping to do. And, certainly, we’ve had some success doing that.”
At linebackers coach is a familiar face with James Bettcher returning to Indianapolis. Bettcher was the outside linebackers coach for the Colts during the 2012 season under head coach Chuck Pagano.
Bettcher had worked with Anarumo in Cincinnati as the Bengals’ linebackers coach from 2022-2024. Bettcher does have defensive coordinator experience as well, holding that title with the Arizona Cardinals from 2015-2017 and with the New York Giants from 2018-2019.
Coaching the defensive backs will be Chris Hewitt, whose official titles is the pass game coordinator and secondary coach, along with Jerome Henderson, who is the defensive backs coach.
My guess is that, similar to Anarumo’s set up in Cincinnati, one of Hewitt or Henderson will primarily work with the safeties and the other the cornerbacks.
Hewitt had previously been in the Ravens’ organization since 2012 and has held a variety of roles during his tenure with the team, but all centered around working with defensive backs. In 2024, Hewitt was the Ravens assistant head coach, pass game coordinator, and secondary coach.
The Ravens defense ranked eighth in completion rate allowed last season, sixth in pass deflections, and 15th in quarterback passer rating. Baltimore has produced a number of Pro Bowlers and several All-Pros at cornerback and safety during Hewitt’s tenure as well.
Henderson, meanwhile, was the Giants defensive backs coach and pass game coordinator in 2024 and had been with New York for the previous five seasons, which includes interviewing for the team’s defensive coordinator opening last offseason.
Henderson is another experienced presence having been in the NFL since 2007 working with defensive backs in a variety of schemes and with a number of different defensive coordinators.
We know that the secondary play has to improve this season, and a big part of that is GM Chris Ballard adding competition, but between Henderson, Hewitt, and Anarumo–whose coaching background is with defensive backs–the Colts have invested heavily in that unit with their coaching staff additions.