Before the season started, IU defensive coordinator Tom Allen said earning the IU job meant a lot to him.
His family lives in Indiana. He grew up in New Castle, Indiana and he coached schools like Ben Davis High School and Marion High School from 1997 to 2006. He earned his master’s degree at IU in 2002.
He said he knows the area, and after filling 11 coaching jobs in 24 years, he said he understands nothing is guaranteed long-term.
So what has he done short-term for the Hoosiers in 2016?
He’s turned a 3-4 defense into a 4-2-5, introduced a husky position that features the Big Ten Freshman of the Week in Marcelino Ball and helped lead the 2-0 Hoosier defense to a more impressive start than in 2015.
“I tell them I don’t care about mistakes because they’re going to happen,” Allen said after IU’s win against Florida International on Sept. 1. “But I want you to play your tails off and tackle.”
There’s been something different about Allen since he arrived in Bloomington.
IU Coach Kevin Wilson hired Allen during the job interview because of a connection the coach said he felt with Allen. Then, after the interview, Wilson had to call Allen again to ask him what defensive scheme he ran.
The players always comment on how much energy Allen brings to the defense and how passionate he is about coaching. Wilson agreed and said sometimes the coordinator even becomes too positive.
But the genuine excitement Allen exuded during junior linebacker Tegray Scales’ interception return for a touchdown at FIU is something IU fans are not used to seeing. Wilson has called timeouts in the past just to yell at referees about blown calls, but a coordinator acting so emphatic?
That’s something new.
“My wife asked me what I was thinking,” Allen said about his touchdown celebration. “And I said, ‘I really wasn’t.’ It’s usually just a reaction, but that’s a first for me.”
Whatever it is — giving players quizzes about defensive obligations, having one-on-one talks with every defensive player or referring to turnovers as takeaways because of the aggressive connotation — it’s creating that new culture Wilson longed for when searching for a new defensive coordinator.
It’s translating into results on the field. The Hoosier defense that was in the cellar of the Big Ten in most statistical categories is now ranked 10th out of 14 in total defense and third in turnovers with six in two games.
A defensive line that has played nearly a dozen linemen has allowed just 230 rushing yards in two games after allowing an average of 195 per game in 2015. Junior linebacker Marcus Oliver and sophomore safety Jonathan Crawford — who have just one full year of consistent starting experience each — have 13 and 12 tackles respectively. Ball, who has two games of collegiate football experience, is tied with Oliver for the team lead in tackles.
Players like junior safety Tony Fields and senior linebacker Dawson Fletcher — experienced players who were not able to produce much last season — are finding their way this season. Younger players like sophomore linebacker Dameon Willis, sophomore defensive back Zeke Walker, sophomore defensive lineman Nile Sykes and true freshman defensive back A’Shon Riggins are producing at unexpected levels early in the season.
Where does it start? Allen wrote LEO on the whiteboard when he first addressed the team in the spring.
It stands for “love each other,” Allen said.
“If you’re flying to the ball and playing hard for each other — together — then you’ve got a chance defensively,” Allen said.
