Media Monday: Notes and Quotes from Tom Allen's Press Conference Ahead of Minnesota
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Written by Zachary Greene (@zachegreene)
Indiana head coach Tom Allen took to the podium on Monday to give his thoughts on what has gone wrong with the season, update the public on injuries, as well as bring in transfer players
Defensive scout: Nick Grieser
offensive scout: Ricky Tamis/ Trey Walker
Special Teams Scout: Asher King
NOTES:
Quarterback Update Penix/Tuttle
TOM ALLEN on Tuttle: “Yeah. So continue to rehab him. And we don't know yet exactly what his status will be for Saturday. But obviously trying to get him back. Obviously got injured with his lower leg injury again, different foot. And so trying to get him back without question.”
TOM ALLEN on Penix: “We're going to continue to evaluate that. I hope so. But don't know. Obviously, that window is closing with each passing day. But just going to have a meeting about that this afternoon just to kind of go through and see where we're at with him. Obviously, he practiced last week and see how much more he'll be able to practice this week and see how he's feeling. Want him to feel great about it and want him to be 100 percent ready to go if that's the direction we go.
Tom Allen on Regrets This Season:
“You know, no. Now, I don't -- you know, when you don't get the results you want, you go back and you evaluate everything. But when I think -- because I've thought that through. I've thought that through several times because basically, you know, the whole objective was to elevate the next level focus/vision of what you want. Right?
And so the one-game emphasis doesn't change. That's never changed this year. It's always the next game is the most important game. Why? Because it's the next one, you know. And that doesn't change.
But I've always felt since I've been here that our guys really didn't even believe we could win the Big 10. That's why I said I don't want you guys to break it down on Big 10 championships anymore because those are empty words. Felt that way when I first got here just by watching how everything was being done and the way that the guys prepared. And that's during the season, off -- all that stuff.
So felt like that we had put ourselves in a position -- not just 2020, but even 2019, the changes and the different outcomes on game day and the places that we were able to get victories we hadn't had in the past, at least the recent past.
And so you talk about, okay, what's next in terms of how you see where you are. You come up with the one word chase, which I thought was a great one word for this season to be able to take where we were, to take it to another level because that's what it's about. Right? You don't want to be, hey, well, we finished second in the Big 10 East last year. And, you know, as I've said before, and I'll say it again, you don't break it down on runners up on two. It's about, you know, we want to win the Big 10. That's been a program goal since I've been here.
And so to be able to help our guys take themselves to stretch that vision another step would be the mindset. And so you think about -- the vision is where you want to be. And I was asked the question, you know, on Big 10 Media Day, what does greatness -- we talk about chasing greatness. What does greatness look like for this group? I said, without hesitation, winning the Big 10, you know.
And that's the vision. That's -- that, to me, is what greatness is for this program. That's what we -- I came here to eventually one day win the Big 10 Championship. And that's the goal.
And so, to me, to be able to take a team that I believe had the infrastructure and the talent to do so, okay, that's what I put out there for our guys to be able to chase after.
And so, to me, that's -- you know, without a vision, the people perish. You know, you've got to have that -- something that stretches you.
And so, to me, you know, obviously, we -- is that the reason why we didn't perform well? You know what? I don't think so. There's other variables involved. But at the same time, we didn't perform well. So you've got to go back and evaluate.
So, yeah, I'll go back in the off season and try to figure out where we maybe missed some things, you know. But I don't think it was that. I just feel like that -- because within that, you have individual guys -- everybody had an individual plan how they were going to chase greatness themselves. And, obviously, as a collective group, you know, would we have been satisfied with just being, you know, middle of the pack or above middle of the pack. And -- you know, that's not what I envisioned for this group.
I did envision them to be able to be at this time of the year competing for and being in the hunt for Big 10 Championship. That was my vision. That was what I believed. And I don't go back to, man, I missed it on that, you know. So have we played to that level? No.
But at the same time, I just -- I believed it. And I want our guys to see it. I want our guys to be able to understand because, you know, sometimes, you know, you don't really know what you can do. And you limit yourself by putting caps -- everybody kind of decides what Indiana can become as a program and in the past. And I get it. I get the past is why people predict things or say things about your future. I understand that.
But how do you break through that? How do you tear down those barriers and those ceilings that people place on you? And, to me, it's by having a vision, casting that vision, and then doing things in place to help surround yourself with people that believe in that vision and players that believe in that vision and want to help you go do that.
You know, I met with -- had a recruit here this weekend on an official visit. And I'm sitting there in my office and we're talking about the vision I have for us to win the Big 10 Championship. That's what I want. And I want guys that come here with that belief and guys that want to create that opportunity for both themselves and then eventually the team will obviously be the beneficiary of that.
So, you know, I know it's a long answer, but I've thought long and hard about some of these things. And, obviously, this has been very, very difficult, very challenging.
And, you know, we've obviously, you know, lost a lot of guys. And we don't look the same as we did. But at the same time, that's part of it.
And you have sometimes -- we didn't have a lot of injuries last year. We still had some guys, you know, that were in and out because of those circumstances. But you just go through -- and we'll do a complete -- I'll do an absolute just introspective look at every little thing we did leading up to this year from fall camp to, you know, right before the season to during the season to things in the off season and in the summertime and in the wintertime.
And same with talking to Coach Wellman and everything we're doing to try and, hey, you know, why we had 30 guys miss because of injuries. 12 we've had -- you know, 18 guys that we've lost for the season, you know. And so another 12 that have missed multiple games, a bunch of games and key guys. So, you know, trying to figure out why those 30 guys have been out.
But, you know, those are things that we've got to look at. And we'll just look at this whole program from top to bottom and just make those corrections and press on.”
TA on Preparation/Effort:
Yeah, you know, I think that's part of the holistic evaluation. I do think one danger of having a lot of guys back can be maybe some of that that's not even observable, you know, at the time. It's maybe subtly.
You know, you don't have the same -- you almost just kind of, hey, you know what, this is where we are. Or you expect it to just automatic -- and that's where I felt like, you know -- that's what I feared, to be honest with you, because I've worked so hard to be like, you know what, guys, just because we got a bunch of guys back, that don't mean jack to how we're going to perform. I mean, I said that in a lot of different ways and tried to really, really make it -- that's one thing I do know because I was -- I was concerned about that.
I've been a part of some teams that have had -- I remember a particular place I was at, and we had a -- it was almost identical. And I felt like that we had some guys that just assumed, you know, and like I say it's not that they don't work hard but maybe it's not quite the same when you're being questioned, doubted, told you can't do this, told you can't do that, and then it just provides that little extra.
It's such a fine line at this level. You just think about the whole -- it's just so minute. And that's where I felt like just try to really -- kids don't understand that. And you can say it. But I try to say it different ways. I remind our coaching staff.
So, yeah, I think you got to -- that might be something that just wasn't quite the same sense of urgency maybe, you know. I'm not saying that there was. I'm just trying to look back. And we're going to look at everything, like we said.
But, man, that is definitely a danger of having a group that's a whole bunch of guys back and expectations are a certain place, maybe at a situation hasn't used to that, you know. And so that's where you want to make sure that you, you know, fully go through and find out if that's the case, then you've got to make some changes.
TA on Keeping the Culture Strong:
“for the future and culture, I mean, that's who you are. I mean, there's no question -- that to me hasn't -- you know, there's no doubt that, you know, that's a strong part of this program, built that over time. It didn't just happen. Last year wasn't just, you know, out of nowhere. It was a slow build.
And you have to -- yeah, we'll lose quite a few guys that have been here for several years. And you've just got to continue. That foundation doesn't change. Some faces are going to change. You bring in guys that continue to fit with what you want.
But that's part of going through and having -- whether we were -- you know, no matter what happened this year, that's going to have to be rebuilt in regards to personnel. But at the same time, the outcomes, you know, creates -- it does, it creates a whole different form. I have a whole different feel in terms of just how you feel about things. And that's why we say -- that's really -- that's got to be separated, you know, because that emotion can't affect you in a negative way and -- just like it can't affect you in a positive way. You don't make decisions off those things. It's all about these are concrete things that we believe in. This is who we are. You recruit to that. You develop to that. You stay to that. You don't waiver from that.
And that, to me, is going to be -- is it tested? Sure, it is. That's why, you know, when you talk about -- you can't have a testimony, which is a verbal, you know, way to articulate, man, this is how we were able to do this and I can talk about it, you know, testimonial. Well, you have to have a test to create that opportunity for those testimonies that people can say about your program.
We're going through that right now. It's been very difficult and challenging. But from my experience, the places that have great foundations, they get stronger because of these types of opportunities to grow and to learn. And I expect this program to continue to grow and learn and be stronger in the future because of it. And that's what I expect.
And myself as a leader is the one that has to be the person out front and being the catalyst for that type of future growth and improvement.