Indiana has fired head football coach Tom Allen following a disappointing 3-9 campaign. Losers of three straight contests, IU opted to head in a new direction for the 2024 season, relieving the 53 year old of his duties.
Allen finishes with a 33-49 record at Indiana since 2017, and will be owed $20.8M in compensation via a buyout. After winning the 2020 Big 10 Coach of the Year award, the New Castle, Indiana native struggled to replicate his team’s on field success, turning in a 9-26 record, including a 3-23 mark in Big 10 play from 2021 onwards.
The Hoosiers finished ranked 12th in the nation in the COVID shortened 2020 season, its highest ranking since 1967, which led to a massive 7 year/$4.9M AAV contract extension for Allen. However a series of injuries to then starter Michael Penix Jr. led to a fall from grace for Indiana in 2021 as they turned in a 2-10 record, including 7 straight losses without Penix Jr. under centre.
On December 22nd 2021, the 23 year old QB announced he was transferring to the University of Washington where he’s since gone 22-2 as a starter and thrown for 8,540 yards with 63 TDs in 2 seasons. The 6’3″ signal caller is now a Heisman hopeful, while it’s back to the drawing board for Indiana who will be on the hunt for a new head coach this offseason.
For the first time in 13 years the Hoosiers will now conduct a national coaching search. Given the massive amount left owing to Allen, there will be added pressure on Athletic Director Scott Dolson to find the right candidate to help return the football program to prominence. Amongst the names who have been initially floated out as possible replacements are Jason Candle (HC Toledo), Chris Creighton (HC Eastern Michigan), Jake Dickert (HC Washington St.), Willie Fritz (HC Tulane), Charles Huff (HC Marshall), Justin Frye (AC/OL Coach Ohio St.), Sherrone Moore (OC Michigan), Sean Lewis (OC Colorado), Barry Odom (HC UNLV), Dan Mullen (FA/Former HC Florida), Jon Sumrall (HC Troy), Kane Wommack (HC South Alabama), and Antwaan Randle El (WR Coach Detroit Lions).
With an added influx of prominent programs to the Big 10 in 2024 including Washington, USC, UCLA and Oregon, Indiana will need to ensure that whomever replaces Allen is savvy enough to navigate NIL rules and the transfer portal process which has become the new normal in college football.
Indiana’s board of trustees and Athletic Department is scheduled to meet next week to begin putting a short list of candidates for the vacant position.
-Kyle Skinner
Twitter: @JKyleSkinner
Photo: IndyNotes. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.