Tom Allen Confirms OC Kalen DeBoer Will Call Plays in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl

Written by Sammy Jacobs (@Hoosier_Huddle)

The question that everyone has been asking since Indiana offense coordinator Kalen DeBoer accepted the head coaching job at Fresno State earlier this month has been answered. Indiana head coach Tom Allen confirmed Monday that DeBoer will be calling the plays for the Hoosiers when Indiana plays ing the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl against Tennessee on January 2nd.

Indiana and Fresno State have “been working towards and we're hoping to be able to have done both sides work together and make that possibility so we appreciate that. He wants to finish. Well here and finish what we started so excited for that for sure.“

In DeBoer’s lone season conducting the Indiana offense the Hoosiers improved in both passing and total offense and points per game. The Hoosiers ranked second in the Big Ten in total offense gaining 443.6 yards per game after finished seventh in the Big Ten in 2018. The Hoosiers also finished second in the Big Ten in passing yards by throwing for 308.7 yards per game. The Hoosiers were third in passing a season ago. Perhaps the biggest jump he made was in red zone conversations that saw the Hoosiers rise from 11th to seventh in the conference and was a major factor in the Hoosiers improving their average points per game by 6.2 points.

Tom Allen has been very supportive of DeBoer throughout the entire process saying that “my whole philosophy is that I want to support our guys, our players and our coaches. This is obviously a great opportunity for him but selfishly you would like to be able to keep him here for the remainder of our time. I have been in those situations with other staffs, I have been in it with my own self, not as a head coach, but going to another staff where I have actually not coached in a bowl game in the past because of that and the demands of the new job. You do not want to take away from that either. What goes into that is, basically just good communication from both sides and just sitting down, talking it through and making it work. There is give and take on both sides to allow him to do the things that he needs to do there. But, the timing of the bowl is good. I think it has helped both sides be able to make it work. We are excited about that."

Indiana quarterback Peyton Ramsey who has flourished under DeBoer had nothing but praise for his coach saying, “Coach DeBoer has been monumental in my development as a player and a person. To be able to have another game with him means the world, it's awesome. It says a lot about him that he was willing to come back and want to be a part of this one."