Cincinnati Bengals defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo will return next season after finishing as a finalist for the head coach position with the Arizona Cardinals this week.
And Bengals players couldn’t be happier.
Take star linebacker Logan Wilson, for instance, who went public with comments about the development right away.
“Selfishly, I’m ecstatic he’ll be back but he’d still make a great head coach,” Logan Wilson told Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com. “Glad to be in his system for another year. He’s a players’ coach and guys buy into his system because of that,” Wilson said. “Which in turn allows guys to play free and effectively.”
While Anarumo is beyond qualified for a role as head coach given his amoeba-styled defense that can suit any opponent and change on a dime, never mind his halftime adjustments, it’s hard for defensive-minded coaches to break through right now.
Given the constant praise from players about Anarumo’s ability to coach up guys and get the best of them at every turn — never mind the results on the field — it’s no great shock to see players hyped.
With Anarumo back, the Bengals will achieve an unheard-of level of consistency by keeping both coordinators around the head coach. As Hobson notes, this length of consistency in this regard hasn’t happened since the Paul Brown days.
