INDIANAPOLIS — Former Indiana football coach Tom Allen went through a unique interview process to land Penn State’s vacant defensive coordinator position.
Allen spent two weeks in Happy Valley with PSU’s coaching staff as part of an extended get-to-know-you phase that allowed both parties to see if it was the right fit.
“Tom was in a position where he did not really need to take a job,” Penn State coach James Franklin said at Big Ten media days on Wednesday.
Allen received $15.5 million (paid out in two installments) as part of a negotiated buyout from IU that left him some time to decide on his next move while Franklin was in the midst of prepping for the Peach Bowl and finalizing the team’s 2024 signing class.
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Franklin invited Allen to spend some time with the rest of his staff in State College unbeknownst to the rest of the team.
“We didn’t know he was around, we didn’t see him honestly,” Penn State defensive end D’Von J-Thomas said. “They kept it under wraps for a little while.”
The methodical approach wasn’t new for Franklin — he had multiple phone conversations, Zoom calls and in-person sit downs with offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki before hiring him last year — but normally the candidates he’s interviewing can’t take too much time away from their current job.
That wasn’t the case for Allen.
“I think it ended up a real positive for both because we spent enough time that both parties really knew exactly what each was looking for,” Franklin said.
Coordinator role a ‘breath of fresh air’ for former Indiana football coach Tom Allen
Franklin followed a similar playbook in hiring Allen to the one he used in 2021 of targeting a former head coach to lead his defense.
When the program’s longtime defensive coordinator Brent Pry accepted the head coaching job at Virginia Tech, Franklin hired Manny Diaz within days of Miami firing him. Diaz was owed a reported buyout worth upwards of $8 million from the Hurricanes.
Diaz, now Duke’s head coach, built on his predecessor’s success to help PSU reach the New Year’s Six in consecutive years.
Last season, the Nittany Lions had the second ranked defense in the FBS (247.6 yards allowed per game), third best scoring defense (13.5 points allowed) and top rushing defense (75.5 yards allowed).
They also had a top 10-ranked passing defense (172.1 yards allowed) and led the nation with 49 sacks.
Penn State finished in the top 10 in total defense and scoring defense in 2022 as well. The program held seven opponents to single digits with four shutouts (three of those came against FBS opponents) during that two-year stretch.
“I think we’ve been fortunate that every defensive coordinator I’ve had has been a top-10 defense,” Franklin said. “That’s a ton of credit to them, that’s also the system and the organization we run as well.”
Franklin said going back to just coaching the defense was a “breath of fresh air” for Allen just like it was for Diaz.
“A lot of what the head coaching position has become is not necessarily why we got in the profession in the first place,” Franklin said. “Tom is able to get back to what he loves and what we all love, which is coaching ball, coming up with scheme and spending as much time as you possibly can with the players and the staff.”
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Former Indiana football coach Tom Allen puts his stamp on Penn State’s defense
Penn State will lean into the 4-2-5 base defense (featuring three safeties) Allen has relied on throughout his career.
The Nittany Lions are labeling the third safety as the Lion position.
“I think the defense likes that look when we (Kevin Winston Jr. and Zakee Wheatley) are all out there flying around,” Penn State safety Jaylen Reed said. “When on the field at the same time I feel like it’s going to cause problems.”
According to Franklin, the transition might have happened sooner if not for PSU’s reputation as Linebacker U. Pry ran a 4-2-5 when they were together at Vanderbilt.
Penn State’s depth at safety going into the 2024 season fueled the change. Reed and Winston started all 13 games together last season and both earned All-Big Ten Honorable Mention. Winston is getting buzz as a potential first round pick in next year’s NFL draft.
The other change Penn State recently made was moving linebacker Abdul Carter, who had 48 tackles (25 solo) with 4.5 sacks last year, into a hybrid role that will have him lining up as a defensive end.
Allen used the same position — he called it the “Bull” — at Indiana for players like Dasan McCullough who could drop back in coverage, rush the quarterback and set the edge against the run.
“He’s one of the unique athletes that was playing linebacker at 250 pounds,” Franklin said, of Carter. “…You’re talking about one of the more explosive, physical athletes in all of college football. We think he has the ability to make a significant impact. Week to week we’ll decide where he’ll have the most impact for us.”
The other thing that hasn’t changed for Allen is the personal touch he brings to the job. One of his first moves as coach was to have lengthy individual meetings with every defender on the team.
“I respect that,” Reed said….
The Herald-Times
