It was inevitable that the changes were coming. The Colts “mutually parted ways” with last season’s defensive coordinator Gus Bradley. That defensive unit never found its groove. They were choppy all season and showed mostly regression instead of progression. The main issues with the unit were allowing too many points, and they could not stop the run. There seemed to be some leadership and locker room issues amongst a group of players as well. The staff has been revamped for the 2025 season, and let’s break it all down.
Old Defensive Coordinator: Gus Bradley
New Defensive Coordinator: Lou Anarumo
The Colts had a short list of candidates they brought in, and they settled on former Bengals defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo. As I wrote in a previous article, I believe the issues he had this past season in Cincinnati were personnel-based. His scheme and coaching have been a question in this league. Cincinnati paid a huge extension to Joe Burrow (rightfully so) and now has star receiver JaMarr Chase on deck for a massive payday, along with Tee Higgins and potentially Trey Hendrickson.
The scheme he will implement is the same one he has used his entire career. His goal is to keep the quarterback guessing all game long. Unlike Gus Bradley, he likes to change the game plan and adapt to what the other team is doing on offense. The addition of Anarumo will likely mean the team will make some significant changes in the secondary, as that is his focal point of coaching. With plenty of roster decisions in question, expect Anarumo to have a loud voice for a win-now season.
Old Linebackers Coach: Richard Smith
New Linebackers Coach: James Bettcher
Look, I had nothing against Richard Smith and thought he was a fine coach. However, bringing in James Bettcher is an absolute upgrade. I thought the linebackers were the strength of our defense this season. I know that’s not saying much, but if you had to choose the best room last season defensively, it was the linebackers. EJ Speed had a terrific season, and Zaire Franklin made the Pro Bowl. We also saw some UDFA players make some progress under Smith’s direction.
Bettcher is no stranger to the state of Indiana as he was born in the state and played his college football at a local small college, St. Francis (IN). This is his second stint with the Indianapolis Colts, as he was the OLB coach in 2012 under Chuck Pagano and interim Bruce Arians. He has run defensive units before, as he was the defensive coordinator in Arizona and New York. He was most recently with Anarumo in Cincinnati and fully expects this to be an easy transition with the defensive unit. I do expect some small changes with these linebackers, but there needs to be more off-the-field corrections than on the field.
Old Secondary Coach: Ron Milus
New Secondary Coach: Chris Hewitt
Ravens lifer Chris Hewitt joins this staff to replace Ron Milus. He was also given the title of Pass Game Coordinator on top of Secondary Coach. Hewitt has been a member of the Ravens organization since 2012. He has had an assortment of titles and worked his way up the ladder. Statistically, this was one of the worst years for Baltimore in their secondary. They ranked 27th in passing yards allowed per game. The Ravens replaced Hewitt quickly by hiring former Colts head coach Chuck Pagano out of retirement.
I think anytime you find someone that can teach what will now be a (suspected) refreshed secondary with a veteran coach that runs a completely different scheme than Gus Bradley, it will be great in the short term. We know the Colts are in “win now” mode, and Hewitt comes from a culture of continuity and winning. Two things that this Colts team is striving for currently.
Retained Coach: Charlie Partridge/DL Coach
This was not a surprise to the fan base as he is a respected coach, and we can chalk a lot of his coaching to the failure of Gus Bradley. Like Anarumo, the personnel were not the best. The Colts did draft Laiatu Latu last April and have Grover Stewart and DeForest Buckner up front. The rest of the pass rush had a very marginal season. This group is expected to look much different next season with notable names questionable to return. Those names include Dayo Odeyingbo and Samson Ebukam. Steichen preaches continuity, and retaining Partridge after one season will allow this group to hopefully flourish with a new voice leading the entire unit.
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