Penn State hires former Indiana coach Tom Allen to be defensive coordinator

Publish date: 2024-05-05

Penn State named former Indiana head coach Tom Allen its new defensive coordinator Tuesday. Here’s what you need to know:

Officially official. ✔️

Welcome to Happy Valley, @CoachAllenPSU!#WeAre | https://t.co/r5k9xDdeMK pic.twitter.com/JWNRDqJLEF

— Penn State Football (@PennStateFball) December 19, 2023

How Allen fits at Penn State

Allen is set to take over a defense that Diaz elevated. Penn State’s defense finished the regular season first in total defense, a mark that Franklin said realistically will be challenging for the next coordinator to duplicate. But throughout the hiring process, Franklin said he wanted a coordinator — ideally with previous head coaching experience — who wasn’t going to be intimidated by taking over one of the top defenses in the country. Allen fits the description of what Franklin was looking for.

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“You do in-person interviews, you do Zoom interviews, you watch film on your own, you study the data and the analytics and what they say, and then on top of that, I think most importantly, you’re looking for a fit,” Franklin said Friday outlining what he was looking for in a hire. “You’re looking for a fit with our players. You’re looking for a fit with the staff, a fit in the community. If somebody had head coaching experience, I think there’s value in that.”

Not greatly altering the defense

Both coordinator hires have been coaches with upbeat and optimistic personalities. Kotelnicki made that clear on Friday during his first meeting with the media, and Allen is known for that as well. During his time at Indiana, the Hoosiers were a feel-good story in 2020 when Allen was named the Big Ten coach of the year in delivering Indiana its first ranked finish since 1988.

It was clear during the past two seasons that Penn State’s defense loved playing for Diaz. There was complete buy-in, leading to a tearful goodbye when he left for Duke. Franklin said he didn’t expect to hire someone to replace Diaz who was going to drastically change how this defense operates. Allen also checks that box.

“(I want) someone who’s got extensive defensive coordinator experience, someone that runs a similar scheme and philosophy because our current players have had a lot of success in a similar system,” Franklin said. “I’ve had three defensive coordinators that have all been able to play at a high level, and we’ve taken a similar approach with all three. But then we’ve also recruited toward a certain scheme, as well.”

What does Penn State do now?

During bowl season, interim co-defensive coordinators Anthony Poindexter and Robb Smith will continue leading the defense. Poindexter, the safeties coach, had expressed interest in the job. Expect the defense to follow the same model as the offense for the Peach Bowl, as interim co-offensive coordinators Ja’Juan Seider and Ty Howle are continuing in that role while Kotelnicki settles in and gets familiar with the personnel.

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The value of hiring someone now means these remaining bowl practices will give Allen a chance to learn more about how Franklin’s program is run, while also getting to know his future players. It also allows Penn State’s 2024 recruiting class, with players set to sign on Wednesday, know who their coordinator is going to be. It’s unlikely that Allen’s hiring alters any signees’ plans at this point.

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(Photo: Matthew O’Haren / USA Today)

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