Tom Allen

• Entering his first season as Clemson’s defensive coordinator after being named to the position on Jan. 14, 2025.

• Joined the Tigers with 33 previous years of coaching experience, including impact at the high school, Division III, NAIA, FCS and FBS levels.

• Served as the defensive coordinator/linebackers coach at Penn State in 2024, helping lead the Nittany Lions to a school-record 13 wins and a College Football Playoff berth.

• His unit recorded two pick-sixes in Penn State’s win against SMU in the CFP First Round, and it bottled up Heisman runner-up Ashton Jeanty to a season-low 3.47 yards per carry and no touchdowns in a victory in the CFP National Quarterfinal at the Fiesta 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’s guidance in 2024.

• The unit finished second nationally in tackles for loss (119) and fifth in sacks (44), as he helped guide defensive end Abdul Carter to unanimous All-America honors and a No. 3 overall draft selection.

• Spent eight years at Indiana from 2016-23, including one year as the Hoosiers’ associate head coach/defense in 2016 and seven as head coach from 2017-23.

• In his first season in Bloomington, he inherited a defense that ranked second-to-last among Power Five teams in passing yards allowed, third-to-last in total defense and scoring defense and fifth-to-last in first downs allowed prior to his arrival, but under Allen, Indiana held its opponents to 129.4 fewer total yards and 94.1 fewer passing yards per game, the nation’s largest improvement. Indiana’s defense allowed 10.4 fewer points per game and gave up 25 fewer touchdowns in its first year under his leadership.

• His head coaching tenure at Indiana included the 2020 campaign for which he earned AFCA National Coach of the Year as well as Big Ten Hayes-Schembechler Coach of the Year honors and Grant Teaff Coach of the Year from FCA. He was also a finalist for the 2020 Paul “Bear” Bryant Coach of the Year Award, the George Munger College Coach of the Year Award, the Dodd Trophy, and the Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award.

• Developed a 2020 staff that included future head coaches Kalen DeBoer and Kane Wommack as the Hoosiers went 6-2 in the pandemic-truncated season, Indiana’s highest winning percentage in a season (.750) since 1967. Indiana ranked as high as No. 7 in the AP Poll and finished No. 12, its highest end-of-year ranking since 1967.

• 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.

• Served as South Florida’s defensive coordinator in 2015 as the Bulls went 8-5 and earned a trip to the Miami Beach Bowl. He mentored three all-conference selections and produced the AAC’s top scoring defense in league play (19.6 points per game).

• Spent the 2012-14 seasons coaching linebackers and special teams at Ole Miss. The Rebels earned a Peach Bowl berth in 2014 with a 9-4 record and led the nation in scoring defense (16.0 points per game) and allowed a national-low 24 touchdowns.

• Made FBS debut in 2011 as associate head coach at Arkansas State, which went 10-2 overall and earned the Sun Belt title. He coached Demario Davis to an eventual third-round selection in the NFL Draft.

• Served as the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Drake in 2010, when the Bulldogs ranked No. 6 in the FCS in rush defense (94.2), No. 8 in sacks (33), No. 17 in tackles for loss (81) and No. 25 in scoring defense (20.4).

• Was the assistant head coach, defensive coordinator, and linebackers coach at the NAIA’s Lambuth University from 2008-09, playing a role in two Mid-South Conference championships and the school’s first undefeated regular season (11-0) in 2009.

• Made his collegiate coaching debut in 2007 at Wabash College, where he served as the secondary coach and special teams coordinator.

• Began his coaching career in 1992, spending three seasons at Temple Heights Christian School in Tampa, Fla. including serving the 1993 season as its interim head coach and 1994 as its head coach. From 1995-96, he served as the defensive coordinator at Tampa’s Armwood High School.

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

• Including his successful prep coaching career, teams on which Allen has coached are a combined 268-120 (.691) since 1995.

• Said Head Coach Dabo Swinney of Allen’s hire: “We’ve got a great football coach — and a great leader of men — coming to Clemson. He brings a ton of experience and was highly recommended by some of the best people in this business.”

• Played football as a prolific defender and punter at Maranatha Baptist University in Wisconsin from 1988-91. Also competed intercollegiately as a wrestler.

• Native of New Castle, Ind.