Tom Allen Enjoys Balancing Head Coaching and Defensive Play-Calling for Indiana Football

Following Day 1 of fall camp, Indiana football head coach Tom Allen reiterated what it's like to balance the head coaching position while calling the defensive plays in partnership with new defensive coordinator Chad Wilt.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — With kickoff versus Illinois exactly one month away, the Hoosiers got to work Tuesday at the first day of fall camp where all the players reported to the practice field for intense workouts and plenty of reps.

Coach Tom Allen said he enjoys balancing both the head coaching position and overseeing the defense, a role he's quite used to after serving as the defensive coordinator at South Florida in 2015 and in the 2012-14 seasons as the linebackers coach at Ole Miss.

Allen also served as defensive coordinator and the linebackers coach at Drake in 2010 and for Lambuth from 2008-09.

"This is really where my heart is in regards to the actual game itself as the defensive side of the football in regards to scheming," Allen said in a press conference following Tuesday's practice.

This season, Coach Allen has a new defensive coordinator in 21-year coaching veteran Chad Wilt. He replaces Charlton Warren, who took a co-defensive coordinating job at North Carolina.

Allen will be calling the defensive plays once again this season while Wilt will also have plenty of input.

"My job is to take care of some of the detailed stuff behind the scenes to allow him to go be the head coach when he needs to be the head coach," Wilt said in an off-season press conference.

Allen said when it comes to scrimmages, he has defensive play-calling duties.

"That'll be a little different," Allen said. "Right now, because we script everything for this part of the practice, it's easier. It's a little bit more like spring, so I'm able to know what the call is.

What I do though just so I can watch everything is a guy stands next to me and tells me what the call is going to be, and I can get my eyes where I want to be."

Allen reiterated that everything is well thought out in advance including the walk-throughs. In the past couple of seasons, Allen said he was more zeroed in on the defense when he was still the head coach, but at the same time, it wasn't like he was a defensive coordinator.

Still, Allen's eyes are all over the field for more of a head coach feel, but he will go back to where it all started calling the defensive shots.

"I think it's good," Allen said. "We got a great staff. Chad does a great job. He runs all the meetings. That's really important. Allows me to be on both sides, be in the quarterback meetings, be in full team meetings at times. I think that's really key. He'll address the guys as well afterwards, so it's kind of a combination of both."

Allen said he enjoys this opportunity for himself to balance both responsibilities. His strong defensive resume could back up positive change for the Hoosiers in the 2022 season.

Related stories on Indiana football:

• TOM ALLEN SETS THE TONE Indiana football began fall camp on Tuesday, and coach Tom Allen is looking to set the tone that the 2022 season will be different from last year, demanding a sense of urgency, attention to detail and accountability. CLICK HERE
• INDIANA DEPTH CHART ON FIRST DAY OF FALL CAMP: The Indiana football program had its first practice of fall camp on Tuesday. Tom Allen said every position is still up for grabs, but the team has released its first two-deep depth chart of the season. CLICK HERE