Son of new DC Tom Allen added to the Penn State football staff

Two days after hiring Tom Allen, Penn State football made another staffing move on Thursday. James Franklin and the Nittany Lions are adding Thomas Allen, son of the new defensive coordinator, to its staff as a defensive analyst. The younger Allen most recently served with his father at Indiana as a graduate assistant.

Son of new defensive coordinator added to Penn State football staff

It’s common for coordinators to bring members of their previous staff to their new programs to help with familiarity and to aid in the transition. We most recently saw this happen two weeks ago when Penn State football hired Bill Queisert, who was the right-hand man to Andy Kotelnicki at Kansas, as an offensive analyst.

Such is the case with the hiring of Thomas Allen. Allen played linebacker for his father at Indiana between 2017 and 2021. He recorded 56 total tackles in his career, and was a four-time Academic All-Big Ten selection for the Hoosiers. After his playing career ended, he joined his father’s staff as a graduate assistant on the defensive side of the ball, where he’s been the last two seasons.

What made James Franklin interested in Tom Allen?

James Franklin wasted very little time in his search for the Nittany Lions’ next defensive coordinator. He hired Tom Allen 12 days after Manny Diaz left to become the head coach at Duke.

On Wednesday, the Penn State football coach explained what led to picking Allen.

“I think the combination of being a defensive coordinator and a highly successful one,” Franklin said. “When he was the defensive coordinator at Indiana, they were the most improved defense in the country. That was telling…This is a football guy who is still heavily involved in what’s going on from a scheme and fundamental perspective. That was obvious.”

For Tom Allen, getting back into coaching as quickly as he did was due, in part, to the opportunity presented by Penn State football.

“I’m a football coach. Just love what I do. This opportunity presented itself during this timeframe, and I had immediate interest in it. For me, I really expected to get back into it once things happened as they did, probably a little quicker than expected. I have so much respect for this program. And, for Coach Franklin and what he’s built here.”

Allen will not have an official role on gameday in next week’s Peach Bowl against Ole Miss. But once the game is finished, the Penn State defense is all his heading into the new year.

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