It’s now been over a week since the Indianapolis Colts have moved on from Gus Bradley and began their defensive coordinator search.
Over that time frame, several names have emerged as interviewees for the role. So as we wait for more news to drop, let’s take a look at what we know on Day 10 of the search.
Who have the Colts interviewed for defensive coordinator?
Ephraim Banda: The current safeties coach for the Cleveland Browns and has been for the last two seasons– before that he was at the college level. In both college and the NFL, Banda has operated in some aggressive defensive schemes.
Steve Wilks: The former defensive coordinator for the San Francisco 49ers during their Super Bowl run in 2023. Although the 49ers defense would rank fourth in points per game that season, Wilks was fired after one year after the defense faltered in the playoffs.
Lou Anarumo: The Cincinnati Bengals defensive coordinator from 2019-2024 before being fired after this most recent season. The Bengals’ defense ranked fifth in scoring during the 2022 season.
Wink Martindale: A very experienced defensive play caller, who owns one of the more aggressive and blitz-heavy schemes in the game.
Dennis Allen: Previously the head coach of the Saints, Allen’s defenses in New Orleans were regularly ranked among the best in points per game allowed.
What stands out?
Of course, each defensive coordinator candidate is going to have their own spin on what they run. But if were looking at a Venn-diagram of these coaching candidates, one circle would be labeled ‘coaching background in the secondary’ and the other would be labeled ‘aggressive,’ and in the middle, where the circles overlap, would be most of these coaches.
Those two elements are a common thread in what these candidates bring to the table. Most–not all–coaching background is rooted in the defensive backfield, and all come with some aggressiveness to their schemes.
These are two areas that GM Chris Ballard spoke about during his end of season press conference. He said that the secondary play has to get better and that there is value in being more aggressive on defense than what the Colts have been.
What’s next?
We will continue to play the waiting game, but from the Colts’ perspective, there really isn’t a huge rush and there doesn’t necessarily need to be. Other teams who are undergoing head coaching changes haven’t even made those selections yet, and it’s not until those decisions are made will organizations begin looking into coordinator options.
