Report: Penn State to Hire Former Indiana HC Tom Allen as Defensive Coordinator
Dec 17, 2023
WEST LAFAYETTE, IN - NOVEMBER 25: Indiana Head Coach Tom Allen during a college football game between the Indiana Hoosiers and Purdue Boilermakers on November 25, 2023 at Ross-Ade Stadium in West Lafayette, IN. (Photo by James Black/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Former Indiana football head coach Tom Allen has been tapped as the next defensive coordinator for Penn State, according to ESPN's Adam Rittenberg.
Allen's deal with Penn State "is being finalized and is expected to come together in the upcoming days," ESPN's Pete Thamel reported.
Allen put together a 33-49 head coaching record as Indiana's head coach from 2016 until 2023.
He was fired in November after the 3-9 Hoosiers finished out their third straight season with a losing record.
Allen will replace Manny Diaz, who served as Penn State's defensive coordinator for two seasons before he was hired as Duke's next head coach earlier this month.
Diaz also served as linebackers coach as he led the Nittany Lions to rank No. 3 in scoring defense (11.42 points per game) and No. 1 in total defense (223.2 yards per game) in the 2023 FBS.
Allen last worked as a defensive coordinator for Indiana in 2016, when he led a historic defensive turnaround as Indiana became the most improved team in the FBS in total defense (-169.4 yards per game) and passing defense (-134.1 yards per game).
Since then Allen's defenses have generally exceeded expectations, except the 2022 season, where the 2-7 Hoosiers ranked No. 120 as they allowed 33.9 points per game.
Lions head coach James Franklin spoke positively about Allen's abilities to lead a team's defense before Penn State and Indiana played each other in November 2022.
"He's like a lot of defensive coordinators," Franklin said about Allen before that 2022 matchup. "It is very important for him to make you one dimensional and stop the run."
"He's committed to doing it and making you one dimensional. When you study all the analytics, that comes true over and over again. Not only this year, but really his career to your point. Really shows up on short-yardage situations. Third and fourth down short yardage situations."
Franklin again had good things to say about Allen before the two teams played one another in October.
"When you talk about Indiana and Tom Allen, I like Tom a lot," Franklin said in October. "Really good guy. Really good representative of Indiana University and our conference."
Indiana agreed to a $15.5 million settlement over two years in order to buy out Allen, according to Rittenberg. That buyout will not be offset by his future contract, Rittenberg reported.
Report: Tom Allen Fired as Indiana Football HC; Contract Buyout Negotiated to $15.5M
Nov 26, 2023
BLOOMINGTON, IN - NOVEMBER 18: Indiana Hoosiers head coach Tom Allen claps before the college football game between the Michigan State Spartans and the Indiana Hoosiers on November 18, 2023, at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Allio/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Indiana has fired head football coach Tom Allen, according to Zach Osterman of the Indianapolis Star.
This comes a day after a 35-31 loss to Purdue resigned the Hoosiers to a 3-9 record for the 2023 season.
According to Osterman, Allen will receive a $15.5 million buyout paid out in two installments. Osterman previously detailed how the coach would collect a $20.8 million buyout if he were fired without cause before Dec. 1, but Indiana negotiated it down.
"All salary except deferred compensation is paid out monthly, per the terms of the contract, and Allen's buyout would fall on a prorated basis if he were fired in a month other than December," he explained. "Deferred compensation is also prorated, so it would be rolled into any buyout figure at the termination of the contract."
To put Allen's initial buyout into perspective, Auburn was on the hook for $21.5 million when it fired Gus Malzahn in 2021. That was believed to be the highest-ever buyout before Jimbo Fisher collected $76 million to not coach Texas A&M anymore.
Indiana's administration is appearing to send a clear message by moving on from Allen now.
Tom Allen’s buyout is over $20 million. Everyone in the industry had wondered if IU was willing to pay it for a football coach — answer is yes: https://t.co/EduX2XHTl8
Somewhat of a surprise, but if Indiana is willing to pay the buyout, that's a good sign about the school's investment in the program moving forward. https://t.co/eN4D9tsIX4
If it hadn't been for the buyout, many probably would've considered Allen's ouster a fait accompli.
He guided the Hoosiers to an 8-5 record in 2019 and a 6-2 mark in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. They were 11th in the final College Football playoff rankings that year.
However, the program quickly fell back to earth. Between 2021-23, Indiana had just three wins in the Big Ten, and the gulf between it and many of its Big Ten rivals has widened during the NIL era.
The economics of big time college football are so messed up that Indiana...INDIANA...has the money to pay a dude 20 million not to coach, but "Indiana" probably doesn't have the 3ish million needed to pay for a quality enough roster to win 7 games
One presumes the school will attempt to make a big splash with Allen's replacement. The question is whether those kind of coaching candidates will seriously consider the school.
Football might be the bigger money-driver, but basketball is the sport that commands the most passion in Bloomington. While Mark Stoops has provided a blueprint for how to succeed at what's perceived to be a basketball school, that hasn't stopped him from clashing with Wildcats men's basketball coach John Calipari at times.
History isn't exactly on the Hoosiers' side, either. They've never won 10 games in a season, and their last nine-win campaign was back in 1967.
Not to mention, navigating through the Big Ten will only get more difficult starting in 2024 with Oregon, UCLA, USC and Washington coming aboard.
Identifying a head coach who can win consistently — and one who wouldn't jump at the first chance for a bigger job — will be a challenge for athletic director Scott Dolson.
After a long, six-month offseason, the 2023 college football season is finally just a couple of weeks away. As a new season gets set to kick off, it's time to…
Tiawan Mullen NFL Draft 2023: Scouting Report for Indiana CB
Apr 26, 2023
BLOOMINGTON, INDIANA - NOVEMBER 26: Tiawan Mullen #3 of the Indiana Hoosiers reacts after a play in the game against the Purdue Boilermakers at Memorial Stadium on November 26, 2022 in Bloomington, Indiana. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images)
HEIGHT: 5'8"
WEIGHT: 181
HAND: 8¼"
ARM: 30⅜"
WINGSPAN: 78⅞"
40-YARD DASH: 4.42
3-CONE: 7.00
SHUTTLE: 4.41
VERTICAL: 32"
BROAD: 10'
POSITIVES
— Athletic player with quick feet and very good short-area quickness. Good deep speed with ability to recover downfield.
— Active in run support, aggressive tackler who doesn't shy from contact.
— Great ball skills. Has a knack for finding the ball.
NEGATIVES
— Undersized player who lacks overall length and size.
— Can lack coverage awareness at times. Below-average route recognition.
— Lacks strength in the run game, relies on quickness and struggles to set the edge. Tends to dive at ball-carrier's ankles at times.
2022 STATISTICS
— 12 G, 38 Solo, 58 TOT, 1 TFL, 1 FF, 2 INT
NOTES
— Starts: 32
— DOB: 07/12/2000
— Brother of Trayvon Mullen and cousin of Lamar Jackson
— 2020 First Team All-American (Phil Steele)
— 2020 First Team All-Big Ten
OVERALL
Tiawan Mullen finished a productive 2022 season with 58 total tackles and two interceptions. He possesses great athletic ability, showcasing very good top-end speed, quickness and reactionary athleticism. He served as Indiana's top corner, often taking on larger boundary receivers.
Mullen showcases very good overall speed in pass coverage. He also has recovery speed when playing deep and short-area quickness, and he keeps his speed through changes in direction. In zone coverage, Mullen's short-area quickness allows him to react at a high level and close in on the ball. In deep coverage, the 22-year-old performs at great speed while positioning himself to make plays.
In the run game, he is very active, displaying aggressiveness as a hitter. Mullen lacks the size or strength to fight through blocks in the screen game, making him prone to giving up big yardage out on the boundary. He also lacks the size to set the edge, limiting his production in the run game when playing on the perimeter.
The former Hoosier is a good blitzer, using his speed to get to the backfield and quickness to avoid blockers. He has a tendency to dive at the ball-carrier's ankles because of his lack of size to face larger players head-on.
Mullen has the athleticism to contribute on special teams and add immediate depth to a cornerback room. His quickness and top-end speed will translate, but a lack of size will limit his role to the nickel position. Mullen did not show the physicality or length in press and man-to-man scenarios to be a boundary cornerback, but has the skill set to play zone at a high level.
Cam Jones NFL Draft 2023: Scouting Report for Indiana LB
Mar 27, 2023
Indiana linebacker Cam Jones (4) reacts as his team stopped Maryland on a fourth down play during the first half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Oct. 19, 2019, in College Park, Md. Maryland running back Javon Leake (20) looks on. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
HEIGHT: 6'1"
WEIGHT: 226
HAND: 9½"
ARM: 31¼"
WINGSPAN: 75⅞"
40-YARD DASH: 4.69
3-CONE: 7.3
SHUTTLE: 4.4
VERTICAL: 33"
BROAD: TBD
POSITIVES
– Quick to diagnose gap runs and has the speed to beat pullers to the spot.
– Good at reading and matching the running back's path against zone runs.
– Solid speed for range against outside runs.
– Form tackler; has good pad level and wraps up to help limit yards after contact.
– Reads releases well when pattern-matching.
– Can turn and run to carry running backs and tight ends on downfield routes.
NEGATIVES
– Doesn't take on blocks with his hands and lacks the strength to hold ground against tight ends as a run defender.
– Struggles to get off blocks; very reliant on making blockers miss to make plays against the run.
– Lacks the size and power to affect offensive linemen when coming downhill and/or blitzing
– Has subpar change-of-direction skills to cover 90 degree routes in man coverage.
– Misses when he tries to get reroutes or use his hands in coverage.
– 2022 Honors: Team captain, Honorable Mention All-Big Ten
– 2021 Honors: Team captain
– 2020 Honors: Team captain, Honorable Mention All-Big Ten
– 2018 Honors: Indiana's Newcomer of the Year
OVERALL
Cam Jones is an athletic linebacker who has upside in coverage but will likely struggle as a run defender. He can turn and run with the best of them and has shown the ability to effectively pattern-match, but he lacks the size and strength to hold up against the run.
A foot injury that held him out of the second half of this past season also hurts his draft stock.
Jones would be best as a "Will" linebacker in even fronts for a team that runs a lot of zone coverage. His change-of-direction skills would be an issue in a man-coverage scheme, and he's not strong enough to play in odd fronts. He does have some experience playing special teams in college, which will make him more attractive to teams in the later rounds.
Former Indiana Football Player Da’Shaun Brown Arrested on Kidnapping, Robbery Charges
Apr 15, 2022
COLLEGE PARK, MARYLAND - OCTOBER 30: The Indiana Hoosiers logo on a football helmet during the game against the Maryland Terrapins at Capital One Field at Maryland Stadium on October 30, 2021 in College Park, Maryland. (Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images)
Former Indiana University wide receiver Da’Shaun Brown was arrested Thursday on charges of kidnapping, robbery and battery resulting in injury.
Per Laura Lane of TheHerald-Times, Brown allegedly abducted and robbed a man he met through a dating app.
According to a news release from the Bloomington Police Department (h/t Lane), the victim reported meeting an unknown man on the app and invited him to his apartment for consensual sexual activity around 2 a.m.
"The victim reported that the suspect wore a face-covering and requested that the lights inside the apartment be turned off so he could not be identified," the police release said.
According to Lane, the victim also told police that the man held "a large knife to his throat and threatened to kill him if he did not give him money."
When the victim showed he had no cash, the man with the knife covered his head with a coat, forced him outside, hit him in the face and forced him into the back seat of a car. They drove to an ATM to get cash from the victim's credit cards, took him home and deleted the app from the victim's phone before leaving.
"The suspect also reportedly again threatened to kill the victim and told the victim not to call the police," the police release said.
Police obtained surveillance footage from the ATM that showed the suspect's vehicle and license plate number. They obtained search warrants for Brown's vehicle and residence after matching him to the description of the suspect. After police interviewed Brown, he was transported to Monroe County Jail.
He spent two seasons on the Hoosiers football team from 2019-20. The Wisconsin native appeared in two games during the 2020 season before tearing his ACL in a win over Michigan.
Brown entered the transfer portal in October, but he had not yet committed to a new school prior to his arrest.
A graduate of St. Catherine's High School in Racine, Wisconsin, Brown committed to Indiana in December 2018.
Vince McMahon's Grandson Declan Commits to Play Football at Indiana
Apr 7, 2022
NEW YORK, NY - NOVEMBER 14: Linda McMahon and Vince McMahon attend the New York Moves Magazine's 10th Anniversary Power Women Gala at the Grand Hyatt New York on November 14, 2013 in New York City. (Photo by Jim Spellman/WireImage)
Declan McMahon, the eldest son of Shane McMahon and grandson of WWE chairman Vince McMahon, announced his commitment to play football for Indiana University on Wednesday.
McMahon played running back for Poly Prep Country Day School in Brooklyn. His father took to Twitter to express his joy:
McMahon also received scholarship offers from East Carolina and Fordham, per his Twitter account. He earned an offer from the Hoosiers after taking a trip to Bloomington in March.
McMahon is unranked by 247Sports. His Hudl profile lists him at 6'0" and 192 pounds. He also saw time at quarterback during his senior season.
The Hoosiers' 2022 recruiting class is ranked 26th nationally and fifth in the Big Ten by 247Sports. The 21-man group is headlined by four 4-star recruits. Indiana is coming off a 2-10 season in 2021, its first losing record in three years.
McMahon's commitment comes on the heels of a big weekend for his family, as the two-night WrestleMania 38 took place in Dallas on Saturday and Sunday.
One of the most memorable moments of the biggest show of the year came on Night 2, when Vince McMahon challenged Pat McAfee to a match. McAfee had just defeated Austin Theory after an impressive showing, but he was pinned by McMahon after Theory attacked him.
However, McMahon didn't get the last laugh as he was visited by his old friend "Stone Cold" Steve Austin. After offering a beer to his former boss, Austin delivered a stunner to the 76-year-old.
Tom Allen, Indiana Agree to New 7-Year Contract Worth $4.9M Per Season
Mar 8, 2021
Indiana head coach Tom Allen watches during the second half of an NCAA college football game against Maryland, Saturday, Nov. 28, 2020, in Bloomington, Ind. Indiana won 27-11. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
Indiana football coach Tom Allen has turned a breakout 2020 season into a new seven-year contract worth $4.9 million per year.
The school announced the news Monday. Allen, who previously made $3.9 million per year, is under contract through the 2027 season.
Indiana athletic director Scott Dolson said in a statement:
"Tom Allen has proven himself to be not only the right person for our student-athletes and our program, but one of the best football coaches in the country. The enthusiasm and outlook for our program is at an all-time high, and the future of Indiana Football is in great hands. I look forward to Tom leading our program for many years to come."
Allen was named the Big Ten's Coach of the Year by both media and coaches, leading the Hoosiers to a 6-2 record and a trip to the Outback Bowl.
Indiana peaked at No. 7 and ranked 12th in the finalAssociated Presspoll, the school's highest finish since 1967.
Allen served as the Hoosiers' defensive coordinator in 2016 but moved into the lead role when head coach Kevin Wilson resigned before that season's bowl game. He took over a program that didn't have a winning season in the previous eight years and last posted an eight-win season in 1993.
After going 5-7 in each of his first two years, Allen led Indiana to an 8-5 record in 2019 and a trip to the Gator Bowl.
The 2020 squad was even better with a 6-1 mark in the regular season, the only blemish a seven-point loss to Ohio State. A 26-20 loss to Ole Miss in the Outback Bowl ended the season on a sour note, but there should be high expectations in 2021 if starting quarterback Michael Penix Jr. returns to full strength after tearing his ACL in November.
The 50-year-old Allen is set to make $4.3 million in 2021, and his salary will increase by $200,000 in each year of his deal, per ESPN'sAdam Rittenberg. His contract will also extend by one year for each bowl appearance.
Tom Allen Issues Statement on Photos of Indiana Jerseys Without Big Ten Logo
Jan 1, 2021
Indiana head coach Tom Allen watches during the second half of an NCAA college football game against Maryland, Saturday, Nov. 28, 2020, in Bloomington, Ind. Indiana won 27-11. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
Numerous images of Indiana's Outback Bowl jerseys without any Big Ten logos or references appeared on social media Friday:
Indiana appears to have removed references of the Big Ten from its uniforms for the Outback Bowl 👀
The B1G patch is covered by the Outback Bowl patch and the B1G sticker on the helmet is gone.
In response, Indiana head coach Tom Allen released a statement regarding the jerseys, noting that the team decided to prominently feature its mantra, LEO, which stands for "Love Each Other."
As Matthew Glenesk and Zach Osterman of the Indianapolis Star noted, there was speculation that Indiana was upset with the conference because of the Big Ten's decision to eliminate its minimum game requirement for its conference championship game, which allowed Ohio State to represent the East division instead of the Hoosiers.
That ultimately left Indiana out in the cold regarding a potential New Year's Six bowl game. The two championship game participants, Ohio State and Northwestern, are both in New Year's Six bowls.
Northwestern beat Auburn 35-19. Ohio State is facing Clemson in the Sugar Bowl, which is one of the two College Football Playoff Semifinals.
Indiana will play Ole Miss in the Outback Bowl on Saturday. The 6-1 Hoosiers' only loss was a 42-35 defeat to OSU.
