Clemson hiring veteran Penn State assistant as new defensive coordinator

Clemson and Dabo Swinney have their new defensive coordinator.

The Tigers are hiring current Penn State DC Tom Allen away from the Nittany Lions and into the same role at Clemson, a source familiar with the situation confirmed to The State on Monday. The Clemson University Board of Trustees compensation committee is set to approve a contract for Allen in a Tuesday afternoon meeting.

ESPN’s Pete Thamel first reported that Clemson and Allen were closing in on a deal Monday and was followed by other national outlets. Locally, TigerIllustrated.com and TigerNet also reported Allen as the top candidate earlier Monday.

Allen, 54, will replace Wes Goodwin, an internal hire who was fired by Swinney on Jan. 6 after spending three seasons as Clemson’s defensive coordinator.

Swinney said in a news release announcing Goodwin’s firing that he hoped to have a new defensive coordinator named “by the end of the month or sooner.”

He ended up only needing a week.

Allen most notably spent seven years as Indiana’s head coach from 2017-23. This year, he worked as Penn State’s defensive coordinator and helped the school reach its first College Football Playoff under coach James Franklin.

The Nittany Lions were the No. 6 seed in the 12-team bracket and won games against No. 11 SMU in the first round and No. 3 Boise State. Penn State was eliminated in the CFP semifinals on Thursday, losing to No. 7 Notre Dame.

Penn State finished 13-3 this year and had the nation’s No. 8 scoring defense (16.5 points per game allowed) and No. 7 total defense (294.8 yards per game allowed).

PSU was also fifth nationally in sacks with 44 in 16 games; held 10 opponents to no more than 14 points; and had a number of players earn all-conference honors, including defensive end Abdul Carter, the Big Ten Defensive Player of the year.

Allen was named a semifinalist for the 2024 Broyles Award, given to the nation’s top assistant coach, for his work with the unit in his first season. Like Goodwin, Clemson’s former DC, Allen also served as the team’s linebackers coach.

Allen was 33-49 (.402) and 18-43 in the Big Ten as Indiana’s head coach. He was the national coach of the year in 2020 but was fired in fall 2023 after three straight losing seasons. He’s also coached at Arkansas State, Ole Miss and South Florida.

ESPN’s Thamel reported that “family geography” played a role in Allen’s decision to join Clemson, as he and his wife have two adult daughters living in the Carolinas and he’d much closer to them coaching in Upstate South Carolina.

Thamel also reported that Allen’s son, Thomas Allen, would follow his father and join Clemson’s staff “in some type of analyst role.” The younger Allen is a former IU linebacker and was a defensive analyst/analytics coordinator for Penn State in 2024.

Tom Allen contract situation

Allen had a $1.5 million salary during his first season at Penn State, according to the Centre Daily Times. He signed a three-year deal with PSU and was set to make $1.6 million in 2025 and $1.7 million in 2026.

For comparison, Goodwin, Clemson’s former DC, was making $1.4 million in total salary in 2024, according to a copy of his most recent contract obtained by The State.

Goodwin was set to earn $1.5 million in 2025-26 and $1.6 million in 2026-27 under a three-year deal approved last February.

Clemson offensive coordinator Garrett Riley makes $1.75 million annually.

Allen will be the fourth DC to work under Swinney in his Clemson tenure, following Kevin Steele (2009-11), Brent Venables (2012-21) and Goodwin (2021-24).