Former Indiana head coach, Tom Allen - Ron Johnson/USA TODAY Sports
Former Indiana head coach, Tom Allen, is set to be the new Penn State defensive coordinator. The Nittany Lions have had a top defense under Manny Diaz, but now Diaz is set to be the new Duke head coach. On Sunday, it was announced Penn State is working to hire Allen to take on the role. Here is a look back at Allen, and what he will bring to this Nittany Lions defense.
Tom Allen’s History
Allen spent seven seasons as Indiana’s head coach. Indiana’s 2023 season ends with a 3-9 record, leading to his firing. Allen has a long history as a defensive coordinator before landing the Indiana job. His collegiate coaching experience began in 2007 when he became the Special Teams Coordinator and Secondary coach at Wabash College. In 2008 he became the Lambuth Defensive Coordinator, as well as the Assistant Head Coach and Linebackers Coach.
While it may not have been a good season for Indiana, their defense kept them competitive in a couple of games, including Ohio State and Penn State. They ended up with 21 sacks and 39 passes defended, according to ESPN. They also had 10 interceptions in 2023. One of those was against Penn State quarterback Drew Allar. Allar only threw that one interception in the entire regular season.
Future of Penn State Defense
The Nittany Lions have a strong defense. While former Defensive Coordinator, Diaz deserves a ton of credit for that, they have had a good defense through their players as well. They will most likely be losing a couple of players to the 2024 NFL Draft, but also keeping some solid players. It will be more known about who is declaring for the draft following the Bowl game, but it is expected that the defense has a decent number of returning players.
The good news about Allen is that he has coaching experience in the Big Ten. He knows teams like Ohio State, and while Indiana did not beat them, that level of understanding is still important. The deal is not yet finalized, but is expected to happen any day now, and is something to watch for. Penn State will be with a new Offensive Coordinator and Defensive Coordinator in the 2024 season. It will be interesting to see where this team stands with the Big Ten expansion next season.
