Clemson football, Dabo Swinney agree to deal to make Tom Allen defensive coordinator

Clemson football, Dabo Swinney agree to deal to make Tom Allen defensive coordinator | Reports

Posted by author January 13, 2025 Football

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CLEMSON — Clemson football has found its next defensive coordinator in Penn State defensive coordinator/linebackers coach Tom Allen, according to multiple reports.

Allen, 54, served as Penn State’s defensive coordinator for one season. He helped the Nittany Lions make the College Football Playoff semifinals with their defense ranking No. 8 in scoring defense (16.5 points) and No. 7 in total defense (294.8 yards) in FBS last year. Against the run, Penn State was ninth, allowing 101.9 yards.

Allen will be the fourth defensive coordinator hired under Clemson coach Dabo Swinney. Allen was Indiana’s coach from 2017 through 2023 and has been coaching since 1992, starting at the high school level and working his way up to the collegiate level to work at Drake, Arkansas State, Ole Miss and South Florida. He will be tasked with returning Clemson’s defense to prominence after the unit struggled in 2024 under then-defensive coordinator Wes Goodwin.

Under Goodwin last season, the Tigers tied for 49th in scoring defense with 23.4 points allowed per game, and were 69th in total defense (374.1 yards allowed). The major flaw was the run defense, allowing 160.6 yards per game (84th in FBS).

Clemson allowed more than 200 yards rushing in five games, and in each of its four losses, it gave up at least six yards per carry. Its rushing defense woes peaked in the first round of the College Football Playoff against Texas, where it allowed a season-high 292 yards and four rushing touchdowns.

Under Goodwin, Clemson’s defense has been on a downward trajectory year to year.

The Tigers allowed 20.9 points per game in 2022 (22nd in FBS); 21.1 in 2023 (31st); and 23.4 in 2024 (tied for 49th). Notably, their run defense has plummeted, going from 102.7 yards in 2022 (13th in FBS) to 114.6 in 2023 (24th) to 160.6 in 2024 (84th). Their yards per carry allowed average worsened as well, going from 3.3 in 2022 to 3.8 (2023) to 4.7 (2024).

With all of Clemson’s end-of-year defensive starters with eligibility remaining returning, Allen would have a loaded roster that aims to get back to the CFP.

Derrian Carter covers Clemson athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email him at dcarter@gannett.com and follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @DerrianCarter00