James Franklin sought a defensive coordinator who would not be “intimidated” by Manny Diaz’s departure. Is Allen the coach in question?
In 2020, Tom Allen launched his head-coaching career against Penn State. Now, as Penn State’s next defensive coordinator, he’ll start over. Why not try the model again if it has previously worked?
Former Indiana head coach Allen is expected to be hired as Penn State football coach James Franklin’s new defensive coordinator. Allen would take over for Manny Diaz, who spent two seasons at Penn State between head-coaching stints at Miami and Duke. Though Franklin is a long way from replicating Nick Saban’s second-chance school for offensive coordinators, the Penn State coach is developing a model for defensive coordinators.
Allen served as Indiana’s defensive coordinator for three of his seven seasons as head coach. He built one of the Big Ten’s most prestigious teams without relying on top-tier recruiting classes. Allen’s Indiana teams ranked higher than eighth in Big Ten recruiting only once (fifth in 2022) according to the 247Sports Composite. Nonetheless, his Indiana defenses (Allen was also the coordinator in 2016) improved dramatically. Notably, those 2016-17 teams improved the most nationally in yards allowed (down 169 yards per game) and passing yards allowed (down 134 yards per game).
Franklin has praised Allen’s defenses since 2016, despite his teams averaging 36.8 points per game against them. Franklin noted last year, when Allen was calling Indiana’s defensive plays, how difficult he was to scheme against, particularly in the run game.
“It is very important for him to make you one-dimensional and stop the run,” Franklin said ahead of the 2022 Penn State-Indiana game. “He’ll use as many resources as he needs to stop the run.” Whether it’s in recruiting, scheme, numbers in the box, angling, slanting, stunting, or whatever you want to call it, dropping safeties down the box like we used to do with [safety] Marcus Allen… There’s a lot of different ways to do it, right? He’s set on doing it and turning you into a one-dimensional character. When you look at all of the analytics, you’ll see that it’s true time and time again.”
Franklin also enjoys releasing Allen as the defense’s de facto head coach. Franklin used Diaz in this manner to great effect. Franklin wants a CEO on the other side because he spends most of his coaching time on offense. Allen is his name.
Allen, 53, was well-liked by the players at Indiana after taking over during a difficult period for the program following Kevin Wilson’s resignation in 2016. “There isn’t a better person to teach and develop young men in college football,” said Micah McFadden, a former Indiana All-American linebacker.
When Indiana Athletic Director Fred Glass promoted Allen in 2016, he said, “He is demanding and has a very high standard that is not demeaning.” He genuinely cares about his players, and they reciprocate.”
Penn State, interestingly, plays a significant role in Allen’s coaching course. At Memorial Stadium in 2020, then-Indiana quarterback Michael Penix Jr. stretched for an end-zone pylon — whether he touched it or not — and a two-point conversion to seal the Hoosiers’ 36-35 overtime win over No. 8 Penn State. Following that, Allen attempted to ground himself in the euphoria of the moment.
“We’ve found ways to lose those types of games since I’ve been here.” “We found a way to win this game,” Allen said afterward. “This is the type of game. That is why it is so large. That is why having that kind of finish and just finding a way to win is so powerful.”
Allen was elevated that night. Indiana went 6-2 in the COVID season after going 8-5 the previous year, and Allen was named national coach of the year by the American Football Coaches Association. However, the rocket never took off from the launch pad. Allen was fired in early December after Indiana went 9-27 the previous three seasons. He’ll now return to coordinating, which Allen refers to as his “first love.”
Before joining Indiana’s staff, he was a successful linebackers coach at Ole Miss and defensive coordinator at South Florida. Allen retained defensive playcalling duties after becoming head coach for two seasons. Allen took over again in 2022 after relinquishing them.
“I’ve missed that part of it,” he admitted ahead of the 2022 season. “And I feel like that’s definitely one of my coaching strengths.” And it’s the reason I’m in this position [as head coach].”
Allen’s scheme, which is primarily a 4-2-5 that emphasizes blitzing, turnovers, and third-down conversion rate, should translate well to Penn State. Allen, like Diaz, is an aggressive defensive thinker with clear ideas about what he values. Early in his career at Indiana, Allen believed that the best way to emphasize turnovers was to prohibit the use of the word itself. Allen made himself do 25 pushups if he faltered. Indiana has finished in the top five of the Big Ten in turnovers gained three times since 2016, and will lead the conference in 2020.
Franklin stated last week that he does not want to undermine the defensive foundation that Brent Pry and Diaz established as the program’s previous two coordinators. Allen arrives at a program that does not require a defensive rebuild. Indeed, Franklin stated last week that he was looking for a coach who would not be “intimidated” by taking over the nation’s top-ranked total defense team.
“A lot of the time, when you take over a job, you say, ‘Hey, my job is to improve the defense.'” That’ll be difficult to do statistically, right?” Franklin stated this. “That’s more challenging to do than I think people realize when you’re factoring all these points in.”
Allen has moved on from one challenge at Indiana to another at Penn State. His friendship with Franklin undoubtedly helps. Allen could get another head-coaching job if he succeeds. And if he is successful, it could bode well for Penn State.
