Indiana has decided to part ways with its head football coach, Tom Allen.
The university announced the termination of Allen’s contract after seven seasons. Despite leading the Hoosiers to winning seasons in 2019 and 2020, the football program has struggled significantly over the past three years. In 2021, IU went 2-10 and failed to secure a single Big Ten victory, followed by a 4-8 (2-7 Big Ten) record the following year.
Furthermore, Indiana commenced the 2023 season with a 2-6 record, with their sole FBS win during that stretch being against Akron in four overtimes. Although the Hoosiers demonstrated improvement, including an impressive home upset over Wisconsin, Allen was unable to preserve his position as the team’s performance culminated in a 3-9 record for the year. IU lost its final three games by a combined 10 points.
The conclusion of the 2023 season signifies Indiana’s combined 9-27 (3-24) performance over the past three seasons.
Overall, Allen held a 33-49 record as Indiana’s head coach, with an 18-43 record against Big Ten competition. A substantial portion of these conference wins, totaling 11, were attained in 2019 and 2020. Across the remaining five seasons, IU achieved only seven conference wins combined.
“After thorough evaluation of our football program, I have determined that a change in leadership is necessary due to our loss of momentum,” stated Indiana athletic director Scott Dolson. “I extend my gratitude to Tom for the contributions he has made to IU over his seven years leading our program. His passion, character, and class have left a positive impact on our student-athletes. We wish him well in his future endeavors.”
It was disclosed that Allen and the university have reached a financial settlement involving two $7.75 million payments from athletics donor funds, with Allen having a $20.8 million buyout associated with his contract.
Allen, a native of Indiana, initially joined the university as Kevin Wilson’s defensive coordinator ahead of the 2016 season. Subsequent to Wilson’s departure under tumultuous circumstances, Allen took on his first college head-coaching role. Prior to his tenure at IU, Allen had been a defensive assistant at Ole Miss, USF, and Arkansas State, along with various lower-level programs and multiple high schools in Florida and Indiana.
Indiana has historically presented challenges regarding success in football. It is typically a basketball-centric school that endured 11 consecutive losing seasons preceding the 2019 turnaround. Remarkably, Indiana had not achieved back-to-back winning seasons since 1993 and 1994 until 2019 and 2020.
Moving forward, Indiana’s football program is set to face increased challenges with the entry of Oregon, UCLA, USC, and Washington into the Big Ten next year.
