A Look Back at the Tom Allen Era

Written by: Nate Comp (@NathanComp1)

With this morning’s news, it is now official – the Tom Allen era of Indiana football has come to a close and Indiana will begin searching for its next coach. While there is plenty of speculation as to who that will ultimately be (see Hoosier Huddle’s Hot Board HERE), for now, I wanted to take a look back at the last seven years of Indiana football with Tom Allen at the helm: the highs, the lows, and everything in between.

The Beginning

Tom Allen was hired the same day that Kevin Wilson resigned amidst allegations of player mistreatment and “philosophical differences” with former Athletic Director Fred Glass. Wilson departed, and on December 1st, 2016, Glass promoted then-defensive coordinator Tom Allen to the permanent head coach position. His first game ended up being the 13th game of the 2016 season, a loss in the Foster Farms Bowl against Utah in Santa Clara, California. Then, the Tom Allen era truly began.

The beginning was full of excitement. In his first regular season game as head coach, the Hoosiers welcomed Ohio State to Bloomington for a Thursday night game in which ESPN’s College Gameday hosted their first show of the season. It was the first, and still the only, time that College Gameday has come to Bloomington. Indiana lost the game, so Allen’s first win at the helm had to wait until week two, when Indiana defeated Virginia on the road, 34-17. Needing three wins in their final three games to become bowl eligible in Allen’s first year, the Hoosiers fell short and finished the season 5-7 after Purdue was victorious in the final game of the year. The same was true in 2018; Purdue defeated the Hoosiers, who once again missed out on bowl eligibility, finishing the season 5-7.

Change Brings Prosperity

The offseason before the 2019 season saw a lot of change to the Hoosier staff. On one side of the ball, Kane Wommack was promoted from linebackers coach to defensive coordinator. On the other, Mike Debord announced his retirement and Kalen DeBoer was hired from Fresno State to serve as offensive coordinator. Allen was forced to make coordinator changes a few times throughout his tenure, but these two hires were easily his best. On October 26th, Indiana defeated Nebraska on the road for the first time since 1959 to move to 6-2 and become bowl eligible. They finished the season 8-4, a record that had not been accomplished since the 1993 season, and earned an invite to the Gator Bowl against Tennessee in Jacksonville, Florida. They were defeated in the game, but the performances that season were enough for Allen and DeBoer to earn Coach of the Year nominations – DeBoer was ultimately poached for the head coaching job at Fresno State that offseason.

The 2020 season brought turmoil across the college football landscape, but Indiana was able to thrive. With newly hired offensive coordinator Nick Sheridan, the Hoosiers offense, powered by Michael Penix Jr, surged to a 6-1 COVID-shortened season. After beating Michigan for the first time in 33 years that season, Indiana climbed to 10th in the AP and coaches poll, their highest rankings since 1969 and 1992, respectively. A change of rules allowed Ohio State to play in the Big Ten title game rather than Indiana, but the Hoosiers were invited to the Outback Bowl at the conclusion of the season for a showdown with Ole Miss. The Rebels were ultimately victorious, but that did not put a damper on one of the greatest seasons in Indiana football history. Tom Allen was awarded Big Ten Coach of the Year and AFCA Coach of the Year honors at the season’s culmination.

The Downfall

The sealing of Allen’s fate ultimately came in the years following these miraculous 2019 and 2020 seasons. With high expectations and support at an all-time high entering the 2021 season, the team fell flat on its face from the jump. A 6-34 drubbing to open the season at Iowa was a telling sign of what was to come, as the Hoosiers finished the season with just two wins, the worst season in Allen’s tenure. A 7-44 blowout defeat at Purdue to finish the season was the icing on the cake of a completely underwhelming season, especially considering the offseason hype.

The last two seasons of Allen’s tenure felt weirdly similar, despite the numerous changes to the personnel and coaching staff. This is likely a big reason why the change was made – Allen had attempted to pull as many levers as he could to turn things around and restore the glory of the 2019 and 2020 seasons, but he was unable. A 3-9 2022 was followed by a 4-8 2023, and today we received the news that this would be the last game that Tom Allen would coach for the Hoosiers.

Old Brass Spittoon Game

The Indiana Hoosiers and Michigan State Spartans have played each other dating back to 1922, and in 1950 the Old Brass Spittoon trophy game was created for the victor of this game. The Hoosiers have struggled historically in the series, and that did not change under Tom Allen. Ultimately, Indiana went 2-5 under Allen’s reign in the Old Brass Spittoon game.

Old Oaken Bucket Game

Indiana and Purdue first faced off in 1891 and began awarding the Old Oaken Bucket to the victor back in 1925. Purdue leads the all-time series 77-42-6, and added to their lead during Allen’s tenure, as he went just 1-5. His sole win came in 2019 in a 44-41 victory (the game was not held in 2020 due to COVID).

Homecoming

One of the most important games for any head coach, outside of rivalry games, are homecoming games. This game each year captures the eyes of the most alumni and brings people from all parts of the country back to Bloomington. Tom Allen’s lone homecoming win during his tenure came in 2019 against Rutgers (the historic game in which the Scarlet Knights threw for one passing yard). Allen finished his career 1-5 in Homecoming games.

Draft Picks

In his seven-year tenure, Tom Allen coached seven players that were drafted into the NFL, listed below.

2017 – Dan Feeney, OL, Round 3 to the Los Angeles Chargers

2018 – Ian Thomas, TE, Round 4 to Carolina Panthers

2018 – Chris Covington, LB, Round 6 to Dallas Cowboys

2019 – Wes Martin, OL, Round 4 to Washington Redskins

2020 – Simon Stepaniak, OL, Round 6 to Green Bay Packers

2021 – Jamar Johnson, DB, Round 5 to Denver Broncos

2022 – Micah McFadden, LB, Round 5 to New York Giants

Wrap Up

Tom Allen finished his time with Indiana with a 33-49 overall record and an 18-43 record in the Big Ten. He coached in three bowl games, all of which were losses. It is unsure where Allen will go next, but seeing as he has coached in some capacity for the last 31 years at both the high school and college ranks, I imagine he will be in search of a new gig somewhere soon.

I am appreciative for all that Allen was able to bring to Indiana and for giving me some of the greatest IU football memories I have. I never questioned his ability to lead men, but ultimately, he was paid to win football games – something he had not done enough of recently, making this change necessary.