Clemson hires Tom Allen as defensive coordinator – Clemson Tigers Official Athletic Site

CLEMSON, SC — Head coach Dabo Swinney and Clemson Football announced today that Clemson has hired Tom Allen as defensive coordinator. The hiring was finalized Tuesday by the compensation committee of the Clemson University Board of Trustees.

Swinney will formally introduce Allen at a press conference at the Smart Family Media Center at 1:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday, January 15. The press conference will be streamed live on ClemsonPlus.com.

“We have a great football coach – and a great leader of men – coming to Clemson,” Swinney said. “He brings a ton of experience and came highly recommended by some of the best people in the industry. He’s obviously coming off a great year as defensive coordinator at Penn State, and we’re excited to welcome him as defensive coordinator here at Clemson.

Allen joins the Tigers with more than three decades of coaching experience. Most recently, he served as defensive coordinator/linebackers coach at Penn State in 2024, a season in which he helped the Nittany Lions to a school-record 13 wins and a College Football Playoff berth.

Allen’s defense recorded two pick sixes in Penn State’s 38-10 victory over SMU in the first round of the College Football Playoff. In the next game, his unit held off Heisman finalist Ashton Jeanty, holding the star to a season-low 3.47 yards per carry and no touchdowns in a 31-14 Penn State victory in the national quarterfinal of the College Football Playoff. Party bowl.

Penn State finished seventh in the nation in total defense (294.8 yards per game) and eighth in the nation in scoring defense (16.5 points per game) under Allen in 2024. The unit finished second in nationally in tackles for loss (119) and fifth. in sacks (44), categories in which Clemson has cumulatively led the nation since 2012 (560 sacks and 1,465 tackles for loss during that span). Allen helped defensive end Abdul Carter earn unanimous All-America honors, the first time Penn State has had a player earn the honor since running back Saquon Barkley in 2017.

“I am grateful for the opportunity Coach Swinney gave me to lead the defense. I have admired him from afar for years and look forward to working for him and with his defensive staff,” said Allen, whose full comments are included below the announcement. “I remain incredibly grateful for the opportunity James Franklin gave me to be a part of Penn State football, a championship-caliber program in every respect that will continue to compete at the highest level.”

Prior to his time at Penn State, Allen spent eight years at Indiana, first serving as associate head coach/defense in 2016 before serving as head coach of the Hoosiers for seven seasons from 2017-23. first season in Bloomington, he inherited a defense that ranked second-to-last among Power Five teams in passing yards allowed, third-last in total defense and scoring defense, and fifth-last for the first tests authorized before. his arrival, but under Allen, Indiana held opponents to 129.4 fewer total yards and 94.1 fewer passing yards per game a year later, the largest improvement in the nation. Indiana’s defense allowed 10.4 fewer points per game and allowed 25 fewer touchdowns in a year under his watch.

Allen’s head coaching tenure at Indiana included the 2020 campaign for which he earned AFCA National Coach of the Year honors as well as Big Ten Coach of the Year honors Hayes-Schembechler. He developed a team that included future head coaches Kalen DeBoer and Kane Wommack, and the Hoosiers went 6-2 during the pandemic-truncated season, Indiana’s highest winning percentage in a season (.750) since 1967.

Allen coached four All-Americans on Indiana’s defense, including linebacker Micah McFadden, linebacker Tegray Scales, linebacker Aaron Casey and defensive back Tiawan Mullen (the brother of former Clemson All-American Trayvon Mullen ). Players under his tutelage also accounted for 35 All-Big Ten selections.

Allen began his coaching career in 1992, spending three seasons at Temple Heights Christian School in Tampa, Florida, including 1993 as interim head coach and 1994 as head coach. From 1995 to 1996, he was defensive coordinator at Armwood High School in Tampa.

In 1997, he began a 10-year career as a successful high school coach in the state of Indiana. He was defensive coordinator at Marion High School in 1997 before becoming defensive coordinator at Ben Davis High School in Indianapolis from 1998 to 2003. In 2004, he was promoted to head coach, a position he worked in at Ben Davis for three seasons before moving to the college level in 2007.

Allen coached special teams and defensive backs at Division III Wabash College in Indiana in 2007 before becoming an assistant head coach/defensive coordinator/linebackers coach at NAIA Lambuth University in Tennessee from 2008 to 2009. In 2010 , he served as defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Drake, an FCS program located in Des Moines, Iowa.

Allen made his FBS coaching debut in 2011, serving as the assistant head coach of the 2011 Arkansas State Red Wolves who went 10-3 and won the Sun Belt title. He then moved to the Power Conference level in 2012, spending three seasons as Ole Miss’ special teams coordinator and linebackers coach from 2012-2014 alongside current Clemson offensive line coach Matt Luke. Allen then spent a year as defensive coordinator at South Florida in 2015 before leaving for Indiana in 2016.

A native of New Castle, Indiana, Allen, 54, played collegiately at Maranatha Baptist in Wisconsin from 1988 to 1991. He received his bachelor’s degree from Maranatha Baptist in 1992 and added a master’s degree from Indiana in 2002. He and his wife, Tracy, has three children: a son, Thomas, and two daughters, Hannah and Brittney.

FULL COMMENTS FROM DABO SWINNEY AND TOM ALLEN

Head Coach Dabo Swinney:
“I am excited to announce Tom Allen as our defensive coordinator today. After a very thorough process over the last few weeks, Tom ticked all the boxes I was looking for. We have a great football coach – and a great leader of men – coming to Clemson. I am delighted to welcome Tom and his family, including his wife, Tracy, son, Thomas, and two daughters, Hannah and Brittney.

“He will get to work this week to start helping us achieve all of our goals in 2025. He brings a ton of experience and came highly recommended by some of the best people in the industry.” He’s obviously coming off a great year as defensive coordinator at Penn State, and we’re excited to welcome him as defensive coordinator here at Clemson.

Defensive coordinator Tom Allen:
“I am grateful for the opportunity Coach Swinney gave me to lead the defense. I have admired him from afar for years and look forward to working for him and with his defensive staff.

“I remain incredibly grateful for the opportunity James Franklin gave me to be a part of Penn State football, a championship-caliber program in every respect that will continue to compete at the highest level. I wish PSU nothing but the best and I loved my stay there.

“My family is very important to me and this move gives us the unique opportunity to live close to our daughters. Our children have made countless sacrifices over the years in the coaching profession and this move brings us together.

“I look forward to working with the Clemson staff and team and their commitment to ‘the best is the standard.’ »

ALLEN COACHING TIMELINE
2025 – Clemson (defensive coordinator)
2024 – Penn State (defensive coordinator/linebackers)
2017-23 – Indiana (head coach)
2016 – Indiana (Associate Head Coach/Defense)
2015 – South Florida (defensive coordinator)
2012-14 – Ole Miss (Linebackers/Special Teams Coordinator)
2011 – Arkansas State (Assistant Head Coach)
2010 – Drake (defensive coordinator/linebackers)
2008-09 – Lambuth (assistant head coach/defensive coordinator/linebackers)
2007 – Wabash College (Special Teams/Secondary Coordinator)
2004-06 – Ben Davis (Ind.) High School (head coach)
1998-03 – Ben Davis (Ind.) High School (defensive coordinator)
1997 – Marion (Ind.) High School (defensive coordinator)
1995-96 – Armwood (Fla.) High School (defensive coordinator)
1994 – Temple Heights (Florida) High School (head coach)
1993 – Temple Heights (Florida) High School (interim head coach)
1992 – Temple Heights (Florida) High School (assistant coach)