Tom Allen didn’t ‘need to take a job,’ but Penn State defensive coordinator was right fit.

INDIANAPOLIS — Former Indiana football coach Tom Allen went through a unique interview process to land Penn State’s vacant defensive coordinator position.

Allen spent two weeks in Happy Valley with PSU’s coaching staff as part of an extended get-to-know-you phase that allowed both parties to see if it was the right fit.

“Tom was in a position where he did not really need to take a job,” Penn State coach James Franklin said at Big Ten media days on Wednesday.

Allen received $15.5 million (paid out in two installments) as part of a negotiated buyout from IU that left him some time to decide on his next move while Franklin was in the midst of prepping for the Peach Bowl and finalizing the team’s 2024 signing class.

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Franklin invited Allen to spend some time with the rest of his staff in State College unbeknownst to the rest of the team.

“We didn’t know he was around, we didn’t see him honestly,” Penn State defensive end D’Von J-Thomas said. “They kept it under wraps for a little while.”

First-year Penn State football defensive coordinator Tom Allen answers a question from a reporter during an interview in Holuba Hall on Thursday, June 13, 2024, in State College.

The methodical approach wasn’t new for Franklin — he had multiple phone conversations, Zoom calls and in-person sit downs with offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki before hiring him last year — but normally the candidates he’s interviewing can’t take too much time away from their current job.

That wasn’t the case for Allen.

“I think it ended up a real positive for both because we spent enough time that both parties really knew exactly what each was looking for,” Franklin said.

Coordinator role a ‘breath of fresh air’ for former Indiana football coach…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/tom-allen-didnt-job-penn-223311734.html

Author : The Herald-Times

Publish date : 2024-07-24 22:33:11

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