Allen Makes Depth a Priority in Preparing For 2020 Season

Image: Amanda Pavelka/Hoosier Huddle

Written by Amanda Pavelka (@amandapavelka3) 

Since the abrupt shutdown of spring football in mid-March, we thought the uncertain would be certain by mid-July. But here we are, four months later, with 50 days until the season is set to kick off in Madison, lacking clear-cut answers to how football will compete with Coronavirus. 

With most every football player’s arrival to Bloomington, only four COVID-19 tests have popped positive— IU Athletics wide. While coaches whip the 120-something football players into game day shape, Tom Allen is locked in on what could be the most important factor in the success of his fourth season at IU—DEPTH. 

With Coronavirus, depth has never been more important.

“I'll probably say this a lot moving forward, we've got to be three deep at every position. Before you wanted to work hard to get two guys that we felt confident playing at every spot. I think that has to expand to three,” Allen told the media in Monday’s Zoom conference.

Injuries are inevitable in football, and so is Coronavirus hitting the Hoosiers in 2020. Containment has been the goal to halt the virus spread as the team reunited over the past month.

 “We've talked about even keeping guys separated as much as we can. There's a point where you can't do that, but as much as you can so you don't get multiple guys getting sick from the same position group.”

Not only do they worry about the players' wellness to play, but the coaching staff as well. It’s more complicated than it seems facing the possibility of being short coaching staff due to mandatory quarantine.

“Right now, we're in discussion with our compliance in talking that through and finding out what the NCAA rule is going to be.” Allen said. “You only have so many accountable coaches within the rules, and we have a lot of individuals on our staff that are very capable of being full-time coaches or on-field coaches as we call them. They’re called accountable coaches by the rules of the NCAA, to move a guy into that spot.” 

Right now, Allen says they have a backup for every coach. The next 50 days will be about huddling up from six feet away and preparing for the worst, and hoping for the best for the Hoosiers’ 2020 season.