While Indiana defensive coordinator Kane Wommack has been introduced as the next coach at the University of South Alabama, Indiana head football coach Tom Allen told the media this week he is in no hurry to name a replacement.
"My phone has been very active with that, as you'd expect. I'm not in a hurry with that," Allen said.
Instead, he, like Wommack, are focused on getting the Hoosiers ready for their upcoming bowl game and ending the 2020 season on a high note.
"The focus is on finishing this season and getting our team healthy and getting them prepared for a great bowl experience for our football team and playing our best football in that bowl game and goal of winning that football game," Allen said. "Kane will be a part of that, and that is awesome. I am really excited about that for him."
With that said, Allen did admit he has already begun looking at what he wants in terms of a new defensive coordinator, and as a former defensive coordinator himself, expect Allen to have plenty of say.
"It's a little unique for me because of my involvement with our defense and the fact that it is our defensive system I brought here back in 2016 and we've tweaked it every single year," Allen said. "Kane brought some new ideas that I thought were excellent and made us better."
Allen vows he will not change away from the 4-2-5 system he brought to Indiana.
"I want a guy who can come in here and run this system. We are not changing our defense. This is what we do. This is our Indiana football defensive system that I believe in and we've built here over the years," Allen said. "I'm involved in every single meeting and I don't tell that coordinator what to call on game day, but all those decisions, I am involved in all those things. We are going to find the best guy that best fits with us and the guy that I feel like is best to allow us to continue this defense.
"I think we have a chance to be really good on defense next year, and I expect us to be better than we are this year. That's my expectation. Bottom line is we want to be better and person will be charged with capturing that room again with that new individual and putting their personality and stamp on it."
Allen said he wants to take his time and ensure he has the hire right when it is time to announce, and he believes having the extension of the dead period will help not rush a hire.
"Going to take some time here, not expecting to make a decision any time soon. I want to make sure we get it right. Usually we are out recruiting this time of year, but it is all dead until April so that won't be part of the equation and that takes a little pressure off in terms of timetable. It is an important hire and we want to get it right and we plan to," Allen said.
A season ago, Indiana lost its offensive coordinator, Kalen DeBoer, and Allen promoted Nick Sheridan to the offensive coordinator role.
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