New Indiana head coach Tom Allen's coaching career spans 25 years with stops at the high school ranks and various levels of college football.
From his first stops to his current gig, here's a look at that timeline along with notable accomplishments from Allen in each of those years:
1992-94: Tampa Heights High School [Tampa, Florida] - Head Coach
After completing his bachelor's degree from Maranatha Baptist College (Wisconsin) in 1992, Allen was hired as the head coach of Tampa Heights High School in Tampa, Florida.
Allen was recognized as the St. Petersburg Times’ Coach of the Year for Hillsborough County after leading the school to a 7-4 record and Class 2A playoff berth, the first post-season appearance in the school’s 18-year history.
1995-1996: Armwood High School [Sefner, Florida] - Defensive Coordinator, Linebackers Coach
Following a successful stint at Tampa Heights, Allen served as defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Armwood High School in Sefner, Florida.
During Allen's two seasons there, he helped lead the Hawks to their best two seasons (8-2, 10-2) to that point, finishing 8-2 in 1995 and 10-2 in 1996. He also helped lead Armwood to its first playoff birth in school history in 1996.
1997: Marion High School [Marion, Indiana] - Defensive Coordinator
Allen, a New Castle [Indiana] High School grad, is back home again in Indiana after Marion High School hires him as its defensive coordinator.
The Giants finished 9-1 in Allen's lone season as defense coordinator.
1998-2003: Ben Davis High School [Indianapolis] - Defensive Coordinator
In 1998, Indianapolis Ben Davis head coach Dick Dullaghan hired Allen to serve as the school's defensive coordinator.
During Allen's first season at the position, two Ben Davis defensive players - linebacker Nate Boulais and defensive lineman Tony Finch - earned a spot on the 1998 All-State Team.
Allen's second season at the position, 1999, saw the Giants win a sixth state title. In the Class 5A state championship game that year, Ben Davis set an Indiana High School Athletic Association (IHSAA) Class 5A title game record for fewest first downs allowed, holding Penn High School to just five in a 27-3 win.
Overall, Allen helped lead Ben Davis to a 76-10 record and three state titles from 1998 to 2003.
2004-2006: Ben Davis High School - Head Coach
In 2002, Dullughan announced his intention to retire after the 2003 season. Following the 2003 season, Allen succeeded Dullghan as head coach of Ben Davis.
During his three seasons at the helm, Allen led the Giants to a 25-12 record with Class 5A regional championship appearances in 2004 and 2006.
2007: Wabash College [Crawfordsville, Indiana] - Secondary Coach, Special Teams Coach
Wabash hired Allen to serve as special teams coordinator and defensive backs coach on March 14, 2007, his first collegiate coaching gig.
Allen helped the Little Giants win the North Coast Athletic Conference championship and advance to the quarterfinals of the NCAA Division II playoffs. He also had three defensive backs who made the All-NCAC team and tutored Wabash’s first team All-NCAC punter.
2008-09: Lambuth University [Jackson, Tennessee] - Assistant Head Coach, Defensive Coordinator and Linebackers Coach
Lambuth head coach Hugh Freeze hired Allen as an assistant head coach, defensive coordinator and linebackers coach on February 3, 2008, his second college coaching job.
Allen helped lead the Eagles to a pair of Mid-South Conference championships and the school’s first undefeated regular season (11-0) in 2009.
He tutored eight first team all-conference players, one National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) All-America selection and a Mid-South Conference Freshman of the Year.
It was arguably Allen's second season, 2009, which most was impressive during his stint with Lambuth. That year, Allen's defense ranked fourth in scoring defense, seventh in pass defense and sacks, ninth in total defense and 12th in third down conversions nationally.
2010: Drake University [Des Moines, Iowa] - Defensive Coordinator, Linebackers Coach
Drake hired Allen as its defensive coordinator and linebackers coach on March 17, 2010, his third collegiate coaching gig.
Under Allen's guidance, the Bulldog defense held opponents to just 330 total yards per game while ranking sixth nationally in the FCS in rush defense with 94.2 yards per game allowed, eighth in sacks with 33, 17th in tackles for loss with 81 and 25th in scoring defense with 20.4 points per game allowed.
Seven Drake players earned All-Pioneer Football League honors under Allen. Additionally, one player was named an All-America while another earned the Pioneer Football League Defensive Player of the Year award.
2011: Arkansas State [Jonesboro, Arkansas] - Assistant Head Coach, Linebackers Coach
In 2011, Allen reunited with Freeze when he was hired as an assistant head coach and linebackers coach by Arkansas State on March 2, 2011.
The Red Wolves led the Sun Belt Conference and ranked in the top 25 nationally in total defense with 331.5 total yards allowed per game and scoring defense with 20.8 points per game allowed. Additionally, Arkansas State's 7.6 tackles for loss per game and 2.7 sacks per game ranked eight and 15th in the country, respectively.
During Allen's lone season at ASU, the program went 10-2 overall and 8-0 in the Sun Belt. Allen coached first team all-conference selection Demario Davis and second team pick Nathan Herrold. Davis, a linebacker, would go on to be selected 77th overall by the New York Jets in the third round of the 2012 NFL Draft.
2012-14: Ole Miss [Oxford, Mississippi] - Linebackers Coach, Special Teams Coach
On December 8, 2011, Allen once again reunited with Freeze at the University of Mississippi, also known as Ole Miss, as one of the first four addition's to Freeze's new staff after Freeze was named head coach.
Working with defensive coordinator Dave Wommack, Allen helped guide a huge improvement in the Rebels defense. Prior to their arrival, the unit ranked last in the SEC in total defense before their arrival in 2011. Under their leadership, Ole Miss improved to 45th in that category in 2012, 38th in 2013 and 13th in 2014.
The 2014 season was arguably the strongest, with the Rebels holding opponents to the lowest points per game nationally (13.8) and allowing the fewest total touchdowns (18). Ole Miss led the Southeastern Conference (SEC) in five categories and ranked in the Top 20 nationally in 11, including 10th in red zone defense, 11th in tackles for loss with 7.5 per game , 12th in takeaways with 28, 13th in total defense with 321.2 yards allowed per game and 13th in defensive touchdowns scored with four that season.
Allen also tutored All-SEC linebackers Serderius Bryant and Denzel Nkemdiche at Ole Miss.
2015: University of South Florida [Tampa, Florida] - Defensive Coordinator
On December 17, 2014, Allen was hired by South Florida to serve as its defensive coordinator and fix a struggling defensive unit.
Prior to Allen's arrival, the Bulls ranked 70th out 128 Division I teams in tackles for loss with 5.8 per game, tied for 112th in interceptions with six, tied for 65th in takeaways with 20, tied for 95th in sacks per game with 1.67, 85th in rushing defense with 182.9 yards allowed per game, 52nd in passing efficiency defense with 219.8 yards allowed per game and tied for 66th in scoring defense with 27 points allowed per game.
USF would improve dramatically in Allen's lone season at the school, tying for 13th nationally in tackles for loss with 7.5 per game, tying for 14th in interceptions with 17, tying for 24th in takeaways with 25, tying for 26th in sacks with 2.62 per game, ranking 31st in rushing defense with 141.4 yards allowed per game, 34th in passing efficiency defense with 118.76 yards allowed per game and 35th in scoring defense with 22.9 points allowed per game.
The Bulls finished 8-5 and earned a trip to the Miami Beach Bowl that season. Allen tutored three all-conference selections and the American Athletic Conference’s top scoring defense after holding opponents to 19.6 points per game in league play.
January 15, 2016: Indiana University [Bloomington, Indiana] - Associate Head Coach, Defensive Coordinator
Similar to South Florida, Allen was hired by Indiana to fix a historically-struggling Indiana defense on January 16, 2016.
In 2015, IU's defense allowed 509.5 total yards per game, 313.8 passing yards per game and 37.6 points per game. Opponents converted 42.1 percent of third downs, completed 59.5 percent of pass attempts, finished with an average passer rating of 136.5 and averaged 195.7 rushing yards per game.
In 2016, the Hoosier defense held opponents to 372.6 total yards per game, 220.2 passing yards per game and 27.3 points per game. Opponents converted just 31.9 percent of third downs, completed just 52.7 percent of pass attempts, finished with an average passer rating of 117.3 and averaged just 152.4 rushing yards per game.
The differentials of -136.9, -93.6, -10.3, -10.2, -6.8, -19.2 and -43.3 ranked first, first, sixth, sixth, 11th, 12th and 17th nationally in each of those respective categories. The dramatic turnaround led to Allen being nominated for the Broyles Award, given to the nation's top assistant in college football.
December 1, 2016: Indiana University - Head Coach
Allen permanently succeeds Kevin Wilson as Indiana's head coach on December 1, 2016 following Wilson's resignation.
