Indianapolis, IN
Colts assistants Indianapolis fans barely know are becoming difference makers
Shane Steichen came to the Indianapolis Colts as an offensive coach. He had a coordinator and a plethora of position coaches, but he knew that if there were any problems on the offensive side of the ball, it would ultimately fall on him to fix them. On defense, it was a different story.
Steichen had veteran coordinator Gus Bradley already in place running the defense when he arrived in 2023. After struggling in 2024, the head coach decided to go in a different direction and thus brought in Lou Anarumo, formerly defensive coordinator in Cincinnati. Along with Anarumo came three new defensive assistants.
James Bettcher took over the linebackers’ room. For the defensive backfield, where everyone recognized there would be major changes, Steichen and Anarumo turned to two veterans. They may not be household names in Indy just yet, but Chris Hewitt and Jerome Henderson have worked magic with what could have easily been a train wreck this season.
Despite injuries and new faces galore, Colts’ coaches get strong production from the DBs
Hewitt’s title is Pass Game Coordinator/Secondary coach while Henderson has the Defensive Backs coach position. Both have extensive experience as both pass game coordinators and as position coaches.
That means both see the macro perspective – how all the parts of the defense fit together to shut down opponents’ passing attacks – and the micro – the tiniest details of hand placement and hip turns.
Together, they bring 32 years of experience coaching NFL secondaries. This season, they have needed all of it.
In 2024, under DB coach Ron Milus, Indianapolis’ secondary stayed mostly healthy. Cornerbacks Kenny Moore and Jaylon Jones, and safeties Nick Cross and Julian Blackmon, stayed on the field for almost every play. Journeyman Samuel Womack and a host of others, manned the third corner spot.
Despite relative continuity, the on-field performance left a lot to be desired. The Colts finished 26th in passing-yards-allowed and 29th in yards-per-attempt. That contributed to a defense that surrendered more than 25 points-per-game – in the bottom third of the league.
Womack and Blackmon were not retained. Jones has been hurt for virtually the entire year. That leaves just Moore and Cross as holdovers from last year’s group. And Moore, after a sensational start, has missed the past several weeks with an Achilles injury.
That injury is just the tip of the iceberg.
Through just six games, Indianapolis has seven different cornerbacks who have played at least 18% of the defensive snaps. Seven. That is astonishing. One of them, veteran slot Mike Hilton, arrived about five minutes ago after being released by the Bengals. Fortunately, that’s where Anarumo coached so Hilton was able to step right into the new defense and contribute immediately.
The presumptive number one cornerback – free agent signee Charvarius Ward – has missed more than a third of the snaps. Another veteran free agent, Xavien Howard, played a lot in the first couple weeks before realizing he could no longer perform at a high level. He has essentially retired at this point.
In their absence, young players like Mekhi Blackmon, Chris Lammons, and rookie UDFA Jonathan Edwards have stepped into major roles.
Edwards was not supposed to be the rookie cornerback making a difference this season. Chris Ballard knew he needed to replenish the secondary so he spent a third-round draft pick on Minnesota’s Justin Walley. Through the summer, he was looking like an excellent addition until a torn ACL ended his season.
Injury also took out seventh-round pick Hunter Wohlers, who was tearing up training camp transitioning from a college linebacker to a pro safety. Oft-injured safety Daniel Scott finally seemed poised to help out until the injury-bug bit him too.
Fortunately, the starting safeties Cross and Bynum have stayed on the field this year.
Blackmon, the 26-year old who was acquired less than two weeks before the start of the season, has become the Colts’ most reliable cornerback.
Somehow, through all the injuries and new faces, coaches Hewitt and Henderson have kept Indianapolis’ secondary functioning as a cohesive unit. They have improved by wide margins in almost every key metric from last year.
Points allowed in way down, from 24th in the league to 8th. Yards-per-attempt is down by almost a full yard – a major drop. That matters because the Colts are actually giving up more total yards passing this season. That is largely because their offense has established big leads and forced opponents to throw a lot more. Defensive efficiency is way up, despite giving up a few extra yards in the air.
Even the interception rate, which was pretty good last year, is up, currently tied for third-best in the league.
Whatever buttons they are pushing, Hewitt and Henderson have the Colts’ secondary rolling right along. Backups are gaining valuable experience and some of those injured players will be returning soon. It should be fun to see what these two little-known coaches can do once they get back to full strength in the secondary.
ICYMI: Top 5 IndyStar business stories in May 2026
A busy month at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway reignited debates about hotels and the downtown heliport. Plus, Eli Lilly celebrated 150 years.
May came and went, and with it, we saw the closest Indianapolis 500 finish in history, the 150th anniversary of Eli Lilly and a contested primary election day.
There’s also been some movement in retail news ahead of the summer shopping season. On the north side, a new women’s clothing store opened while a piercing studio set up shop in Speedway. Meanwhile, an indoor children’s play place opened on the near north side.
Read on for four spots that recently opened and one in Broad Ripple that said farewell.
Openings
Monkee’s
8659 River Crossing Blvd., monkeesofindianapolis.com, opened in March
Monkee’s of Indianapolis, a high-end women’s clothing store, opened recently on the north side in the Shops at River Crossing near the Fashion Mall. The brand Monkee’s started in the South three decades ago and has since grown to nearly 70 locations. In Indianapolis, Missy Llewellyn and Whitney Schmitt started the franchise to bring the clothing brand to the Circle City.
The Nest Play Cafe
515 E 22nd St Suite 101, indynestplaycafe.com, opened early May
The Nest Play Cafe opened at the corner of Central Avenue and 22nd Street, offering an indoor space for parents and caregivers to bring their children to play. Caregivers can book 90-minute play sessions for $15 per child over the age of one. Tickets for additional siblings run $10. The cafe sells coffee and snacks, too.
Open Monday, Wednesday and Thursday 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Friday 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday 8 a.m. to noon. Closed Tuesdays.
Forget Me Not Piercing Studio
5324 W. 16th St., jessflowerspiercings.square.site, opened May 27
A new piercing studio opened in Speedway at the end of May just days after the Indianapolis 500. Forget Me Not Piercing offers traditional lobe, helix and conch piercings along with nostril and septum piercings. Artist Jess Flowers opened the one-woman shop on 16th Street.
Open Sunday and Thursday 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. and Wednesday, Friday and Saturday 1 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Black Orchid Barbers Fountain Square
1201 Prospect St. Suite 100, blackorchidbarbers.com, opened in May
Black Orchid, a local barbershop known for its sharp haircuts with a side of humor, opened its Fountain Square spot, marking the company’s seventh brick-and-mortar location. Walk-ins are welcome but Black Orchid recommends grabbing a time slot online for your preferred service.
Open Monday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Closures
Vitality IV Bar
6302 Guilford Ave., vitalityivbar.com
An IV-wellness spot in Broad Ripple shut its doors last month. Vitality IV Bar was located next to the Thieves cocktail lounge, formerly the Broad Ripple Starbucks location, before it went out of business.
Vitality IV still operates an Indianapolis-area location on Mass Ave downtown at 749 Massachusetts Ave where customers can book a variety of infusions with vitamins.
See a store opening or closing near you? Contact IndyStar reporter Alysa Guffey at alysa.guffey@indystar.com.
Forty-one names comprised the 11th layer of Springer’s “The Forgiving Sea VI,” an interactive painting that invites people to wr
Elizabeth Gabriel, Mirror Indy
(MIRROR INDY) — The Garfield Park Conservatory will host multiple family-friendly events throughout June. The events include plant shows, kid’s story time and Dollar Menu Night, which allows residents to harvest and eat veggies from a community garden.
Events at the Garfield Park Conservatory, 2505 Conservatory Drive, range in price and some require advance registration.
The Indianapolis Bonsai Club will have displays and answer questions about a variety of bonsai. Vendors will have items for purchase.
🗓️ 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. June 6, 1-5 p.m. June 7
🎟️ $7 per person, $15 per family (maximum of two adults per family)
Preschoolers ages 2-5 can participate in nature-themed storytime and crafts.
🗓️ 10-11 a.m. June 9
🎟️ $6 per child
Residents of all ages can harvest and eat veggies from Blakes’ Garden. Advance registration is preferred.
🗓️ 6-7 p.m. June 10
🎟️ $1 per person
Focused on ages 2-8, participants will listen to a nature-themed story and explore Blakes’ Garden. Attendees will relocate to a classroom if there’s inclement weather.
🗓️ 10 a.m. June 12
🎟️ Free
Up to 15 neighbors ages 10 and up will learn to ferment kimchi. Registration is required.
🗓️ 1-2 p.m. June 13
🎟️ $15 per person
Kids ages 2-5 can plant and harvest crops in the Children’s Garden. Registration is required.
🗓️ 11 a.m. to noon June 24
🎟️ $6 per child
The Indiana Insectivores will display tropical and native Indiana predator plants. Plants will also be available for purchase. Those who attend the plant show will also have free entry to the Predatory Plants Presentation 1-2 p.m. June 27.
🗓️ 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. June 27, 1-5 p.m. June 28
🎟️ $7 per person, $15 per family (maximum of two adults per family)
Mirror Indy, a nonprofit newsroom, is funded through grants and donations from individuals, foundations and organizations.
Mirror Indy reporter Elizabeth Gabriel covers the south side of Marion County. Contact her at elizabeth.gabriel@mirrorindy.org. Follow her on X at @_elizabethgabs.
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