Former USF defensive coordinator Tom Allen headed to Clemson: report

The nomadic coaching career of former Armwood High and USF assistant Tom Allen reportedly is taking another surprising turn, from Happy Valley to Death Valley.

Allen, who presided over one of the nation’s most stout defenses in his lone season at Penn State this past fall, is working on a deal to become the defensive coordinator at Clemson, ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported Monday morning. The Tigers gig would be the sixth collegiate coordinator job for Allen, who oversaw a unit that ranked in the top 35 nationally in both rushing and scoring defense in his lone season at USF in 2015.

Despite some early hiccups in Happy Valley last fall, Allen ultimately helped craft the Nittany Lions defense into one of the nation’s stingiest. Penn State, which fell to Notre Dame last week in the College Football Playoff semifinals, finished eighth nationally in scoring defense (16.5 points per game), ninth against the run (101.9 yards per game) and fourth in interceptions (20).

Clemson is seeking a replacement for Wes Goodwin, dismissed in early January after three seasons. Goodwin’s 2024 unit ranked 69th nationally in total defense (374.1 yards per game); its 160.6 rushing yards allowed per game was the program’s most since 2011. The Tigers were particularly exposed in a 38-24 first-round playoff loss to Texas, when they surrendered 292 rushing yards.

• • •

Sign up for the Sports Today newsletter to get daily updates on the Bucs, Rays, Lightning and college football across Florida.

Never miss out on the latest with your favorite Tampa Bay sports teams. Follow our coverage on Instagram, X and Facebook.

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/former-usf-defensive-coordinator-tom-162700335.html

Author : Tampa Bay Times, St. Petersburg, Fla.

Publish date : 2025-01-13 16:27:00

Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.