My Two Cents: Fresh Set of Eyes Just What Doctor Ordered for Indiana Defense

Tom Allen knew it was an important hire, which is why he took his time in getting it right with bringing on Charlton Warren as Indiana's new defensive coordinator. Warren inherits a group on the rise that's already playing at a high level.

Tom Brew | Jan 28, 2021

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Tom Allen likes checking off boxes. He does it with the recruits he offers, the books he reads, the prayers he says.

And there's no doubt he does it when he's hiring coaches, too.

He took his time in hiring a defensive coordinator to replace Kane Wommack, who left in early January to become the head coach at South Alabama. Allen looked around hard, asked a lot of questions, and counted on the opinions of people he trusts before deciding that former Georgia assistant Charlton Warren was his guy.

It was an important hire, because let's be serious. This is Tom Allen's defense. He brought it here to Indiana, and the 4-2-5 system isn't going to change. But it can be tweaked. New wrinkles can be added. New ploys can get mixed in And that's why Allen is so excited about bringing in Warren, who has a great resume with a lot of SEC flavor to it.

A new perspective is welcomed, Allen said Wednesday when he and Warren met with the media for the first time since Warren's hire.

"I love the idea of having a new set of eyes,'' Allen said. "We have a great staff defensively, with coaches that I love and trust and they do a great job. But when you bring somebody in, it's great.

"We're going through our entire defense right now, and it's great to say, 'what do you think about this?' You have a whole different perspective when you come from the outside in. It's not like bringing a consultant in, because he has a vested interest in this. He's a part of this now, and he brings what I call SEC eyes, what you're looking for in recruiting, and schematically. It's a great league with a lot of great coaches. He's been around a lot of great coaches, and he's been in Coach (Nick) Saban's system.

Since Tom Allen became the head coach at Indiana, he's been all about developing a new culture. LEO is real, and it emanates throughout the program from top to bottom. Every player Indiana recruits has to fit. It's no different with coaches, especially coordinators.

"I have a lot of respect for where he's been and the man that he is is important to me,'' Allen said. "To me, it's always about fit when recruiting both players and coaches. Fit to me is guys that are aligned philosophically, how you motivate, how you lead, how you build a family, how you build a program, how you build belief, confidence and trust in each other. We really found those values in Charlton. And it starts with his character as a man, his leadership, his home and the people he has worked with before.''

Charlton Warren's last three coaching stops were all in the SEC, at Tennessee, Florida and Georgia. (USA TODAY Sports.)

Warren has a military background, and he's been a defensive coordinator before at Air Force. He's also coached at Nebraska and North Carolina, and his last three stops have been in the SEC, at Tennessee, Florida and Georgia.

It's those "SEC eyes'' that matter a lot to Allen. Warren is also a well-respected recruiter, and the South has been very important to Indiana's recruiting since Allen arrived. Warren will help there. A lot.

For Warren, coming to Indiana was a no-brainer. He's been impressed from afar with what Allen and the Hoosiers have done the past couple of years. Winning games is one thing – Indiana is 14-7 since the start of 2019 and finished this season ranked No. 12 in the country – but HOW you're winning them matters even more, especially to a guy like Warren

"It's one of those things where the culture that has been developed here by Coach Allen and his staff is unbelievable,'' Warren said. "In football, and really in life, talent takes you or a team only so far and it's culture that's what gets you over the hump. When talent is equal or talent fails, your culture and what you're your made up of as a group really comes to the forefront.

"With my background being in the military, that's the mantra we live by. It's about the culture that's developed that gets you over some adversity. It's a lot easier to overcome adversity when you've got a hundred brothers with you than when it's just me by myself. The fight, the resiliency, the ability to face adversity as a group and overcome it, those are tremendous. A lot of places don't have that, so that was a bring draw to me. It gets me back to my roots and what I'm used to, and I'm super excited.''

It's amazing how the national perspective of Indiana has changed in the past few years. They've been a laughingstock for years, losing more games in history than any other Power 5 school.

Now, even deep down in the SEC, people are noticing. Warren was no different.

"I was really drawn to Indiana, like everyone else in the country, from the great spirit, the culture and the bond that these guys play with,'' Warren said. "The things that they have been able to do has been amazing, and it didn't just happen overnight. It was a process that they went through.

"From afar and from places I have been, seeing the growth and maturity of the team over the years has been amazing. Coach Allen and his staff have done a great job. I feel very fortunate to have the opportunity to be able to come here and be a part of this, join hands with these guys, and be able to go forward. I am really excited to be here and I cannot wait to get to the ball part.''

Warren admits there will be some adjustment to Indiana's defensive system. Much like last year, when Allen replaced offensive coordinator Kalen DeBoer by promoting Nick Sheridan, this system doesn't change here.

Warren is fine with that, because he loves what he sees on the defensive side of the ball.

"They have done a tremendous job here of playing to their strengths,'' Warren said. "In any defensive scheme, a good call is not a good call unless the players can execute it. To me, they have done an amazing job using the talents they have to get the most out of the players based on the scheme.

"They have adapted the scheme over the years. Three years ago to last season, it has evolved based on their personnel. I am really happy with what they have done in that realm and I am happy to come here and add to it.''

When you become a successful program, coaches are going to get bigger and better offers. DeBoer and Wommack did great things at Indiana, but when head coaching jobs came available, you couldn't fault them for leaving.

Allen's hire a year ago was easy with Sheridan, because he's been here with Allen from the beginning. This hire was different, because it mean that Allen had to step out of his comfort zone.

He's never worked with Warren before, and didn't even really know him all that well before this process started. But Allen followed the process, and checked off the boxes. One thing after another worked for Allen when in came to Warren, and now here is, home in Bloomington and ready to inherit a defense that's on the rise.

All those boxes? They're all checked off.

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