Hoosiers Officially Add Kane Wommack as 10th Assistant Coach

IU Athletics Release

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana head football coach Tom Allen announced today that Kane Wommack (wawm-ick) will join the Hoosiers staff as the 10th assistant coach now allowed per NCAA rules. Wommack, who served as the University of South Alabama's defensive coordinator and linebackers coach the last two seasons, will coach IU's linebackers.
 
"Kane is one of the bright, young coaches in our profession. He has done a tremendous job as a defensive coordinator at two different stops," Allen said. "I have a strong relationship with his family, but more importantly, he is an excellent football coach. Kane is the kind of person that I want in our program mentoring our young men and that will represent Indiana University in an excellent way. He is a guy that I know and trust, and I am very excited to have him join the IU Football family."
 
Current Indiana linebackers coach William Inge will shift to special teams coordinator.
 
"Special teams play is a huge priority in our program. We needed someone to take ownership of all of our special teams units and Coach Inge is the man for the job," Allen said. "It's a great opportunity for him to become a coordinator and oversee an area that I believe changes the game."
 
Wommack is excited to work with Allen once again, as he was an Ole Miss graduate assistant in 2012-13 when Allen was linebackers coach under defensive coordinator Dave Wommack, Kane's father.
 
"Tom Allen has been an awesome mentor," Wommack said. "We have risen through the ranks together as defensive coordinators and I am thrilled to be reunited with him once again. I am ready to get started and excited to be a Hoosier."
 
During Wommack's two seasons, South Alabama was the 13th-most improved scoring defense (-10.8) and rushing defense (-69.2) in the nation.
 
As Allen did with the Indiana defense in 2016, Wommack engineered one of the top turnarounds in the country. The unit was the fifth-most improved nationally in scoring defense (-10.3), one spot behind the Hoosiers, and ranked in the top 10 nationally in passing defense.
 
The Jaguars finished in the top five in the Sun Belt Conference in passing defense, pass efficiency defense, tackles for loss and third down conversion percentage against. USA was one of two programs with multiple first team all-conference honorees and both of his starting linebackers received postseason accolades.
 
In 2014-15, Wommack earned his first opportunity as a defensive coordinator at Eastern Illinois University. He helped the Panthers to the 2015 NCAA Division 1 Football Championship playoffs and a top 25 national ranking.
 
He mentored first team All-American defensive tackle Dino Fanti, the 2015 Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) co-Defensive Player of the Year, and two-time first team All-OVC honoree and defensive back Jourdan Wickliffe.
 
The 2015 EIU defense ranked second in the nation in interceptions (19), third in takeaways (31), fourth in pass efficiency defense (103.0), eighth in red zone defense (67.3 percent) and 10th in TFLs (98). Eastern Illinois finished first or second in the league in six defensive categories a year after it ranked second in scoring and fourth in takeaways led by four all-conference selections.

Wommack coached the husky position at Ole Miss, a staple in Allen's 4-2-5 attack. In 2013, the Rebels ranked 36th in the country in pass defense and 38th in total defense. The previous season, they sat fourth nationally in tackles for loss, 11th in sacks and 25th in rush defense.

He coached the defensive line for co-OVC champion Jacksonville State in 2011 and spent 2010 as the quarterbacks coach at Tennessee-Martin.

A fullback at the University of Arkansas (2005-06), the Razorbacks captured the 2006 SEC West Division title. Wommack moved to tight end and transferred to a Southern Miss program that made three straight bowl games from 2007-09.
 
He earned his bachelor's degree in political science from USM in 2009, and he was a volunteer assistant coach with the Golden Eagles offensive line.

Wommack and his wife Melissa have two sons, Asher and Tatum. His father, Dave, retired following the 2016 season after 37 years of collegiate coaching.