INDIANAPOLIS -- The Colts are hiring former Bengals defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo to take over the same duties in Indianapolis, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter on Monday.

The Colts fired veteran coordinator Gus Bradley earlier this month in their effort to improve on defense after a disappointing season that saw them fall to 29th in yards allowed per game (361.2).

Anarumo's unit struggled in 2024, but he has deployed impressive defenses in the past. Among his achievements was the Bengals' defensive performance in Super Bowl LVI, where his game plans were seen as a key factor in the team's success, though the Rams won 23-20. He famously concocted the plan that stymied the Kansas City Chiefs and quarterback Patrick Mahomes in the AFC Championship Game that season.

A Colts source cited Anarumo's multiple defensive looks as something that appealed to the team. The 58-year-old also differs from Bradley in other ways, such as Anarumo's tendency to disguise coverages and an greater aggressiveness than the Colts have employed in recent years.

Whereas Bradley was known for using a similar attack from week to week, Anarumo often tailors his game plans to opponents in an attempt to seize on an offense's weaknesses.

The Colts had also interviewed other candidates, including former New Orleans Saints head coach Dennis Allen, who is the leading candidate to join new Chicago Bears coach Ben Johnson's staff as defensive coordinator, sources told Schefter.

Anarumo's six-year Cincinnati tenure ended disappointingly, with the Bengals finishing 2024 ranked 26th in points allowed per drive and 30th in red zone efficiency. But the Colts were looking for change after their own struggles and are hoping a shift in philosophy will help.

"Since I've been a Colt, it's been our worst year defensively, for sure," star defensive tackle DeForest Buckner said at the season's conclusion.

"You saw glimpses of us playing at a high level and playing as a defense, and then we played some offenses that weren't very good and all of a sudden it was like, 'What happened?'"