Penn State has officially removed Tom Allen, its defensive coordinator, and his son, Thomas, from its official website and staff directory. Allen is set to become the next defensive coordinator at Clemson. The school’s Board of Trustees compensation committee will meet tomorrow at 3 p.m. to discuss a contract for a football coach, with Allen expected to be the one approved, though his name is not mentioned. Thomas Allen will also join Clemson as an analyst, a role he previously held at Penn State.
This marks the fourth defensive coordinator change in five seasons for Penn State. Allen replaced Manny Diaz, who departed after two seasons, while Brent Pry had overseen the defense before leaving for Virginia Tech. Unlike Pry and Diaz, Allen is not returning to a head coaching position but is making a lateral move, which could be seen as a step down. ESPN and Blue-White Illustrated suggest that family ties played a significant role in his decision to leave.
According to BWI’s Nate Bauer, the decision to move to Clemson was influenced by Allen’s family and geographic preferences. Allen, who has two daughters and a son, worked with his son Thomas at Penn State, and this family connection will likely continue at Clemson. Additionally, the opportunity to live closer to his daughters, who reside in the region, was an important factor for Allen and his wife, Tracy.
As Allen may not officially leave until Tuesday, Penn State is already preparing to find his replacement. Internal candidates for the position include safeties coach Anthony Poindexter, cornerbacks coach Terry Smith, and analysts Robb Smith and Dan Connor. The search for external candidates could be broad, but head coach James Franklin will likely aim to find someone similar to the coaches who came before Allen to maintain the program’s strong defensive performance.
