Tom Allen Named AFCA National Coach of the Year

He joins Bo McMillin (1945) and John Pont (1967) as the only IU head coaches to earn Werner Ladder AFCA FBS National Coach of the Year recognition.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — After Indiana defeated Wisconsin this season, Tom Allen was interrupted by his players during his postgame interview with ABC and kept saying Allen was the best coach in the country.

On Tuesday, the AFCA validated that by named Allen National Coach of the Year.

Below is the full press release from Indiana:

Indiana head football coach Tom Allen has been named the 2020 Werner Ladder AFCA Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) National Coach of the Year. He was honored during a virtual AFCA Convention awards presentation on Tuesday.

Allen was selected by a vote of the active AFCA members at FBS schools. He joins Bo McMillin (1945) and John Pont (1967) as the only IU head coaches to earn Werner Ladder AFCA FBS National Coach of the Year recognition.

"Tom is very deserving of this honor, which recognizes the remarkable job that he has done in propelling our football program to a level of success that we have not enjoyed in decades," IU Vice President and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Scott Dolson said. "I'm particularly pleased that this honor comes from the AFCA and his fellow coaches, who appreciate the outstanding job that Tom has done with our program. This is a great day for not only Tom and our players, but also our department and Indiana University."

The Big Ten's Hayes-Schembechler Coach of the Year (coaches vote) and Dave McClain Coach of the Year (media vote), Allen is also a finalist for the Paul "Bear" Bryant Coach of the Year Award and the George Munger College Coach of the Year Award.

He was also a finalist for the Dodd Trophy and the Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award.

Below are some of the program's notable 2020 achievements:

•Indiana finished the year ranked for a program record 10-consecutive weeks, including a No. 12 final rating from the Associated Press, its highest final ranking since 1967 (No. 4).
•IU played in consecutive January bowl games for the first time in school history.
•The Hoosiers were ranked in the Top 10 six times, the second-most in school history (9 weeks in 1945).
•Indiana collected its first Top-10 ranking in the Nov. 8 AP Poll (No. 10) since Sept. 22, 1969 (No. 10).
•IU's No. 7 rating (Dec. 13, 20) was its best in the AP Poll since Nov. 27, 1967 (No. 4).
•The Hoosiers three Top-25 victories tied for the third-most in the country.
•Their three Top-25 wins also matched the 1945 team's program record.
•Indiana is 14-7 overall and 11-5 in league play since the beginning of the 2019 campaign.
•IU's 14 victories share fourth and its 11 Big Ten wins share third among all B1G teams during that span.
•With their victory over Maryland, the Hoosiers clinched a winning league record in consecutive seasons for the first time since 1987-88 and for the sixth time overall (1967-68, 1944-46 and 1936-37).
•Indiana's six conference wins tied for the most in school history (1967, 1987).
•IU's 11 Big Ten victories are tied for the most in program history over a two-year span (1987-88).
•The Hoosiers collected their first win over No. 16 Wisconsin (14-6) since defeating the Badgers in back-to-back seasons on Oct. 6, 2001 (63-32) and on Oct. 12, 2002 (32-29), the former coming at Camp Randall Stadium.
•Indiana recorded its first road victory over a ranked opponent since No. 18 Missouri on Sept. 20, 2014 (31-27), and its first B1G road win over a ranked opponent since No. 22 Michigan State on Nov. 10, 2001 (37-28).
•Wisconsin's six points marked its lowest total against IU since Oct. 24, 1992 (3), and it was U-W's first game without a touchdown since Oct. 3, 2015, against Iowa.
•The Hoosiers matched a school record with five-straight league victories (1967) before losing at No. 3 Ohio State and have won 11 of their last 14, their most successful stretch in conference games in program history.
•Indiana defeated Michigan State, 24-0, to reclaim the Old Brass Spittoon for the first time since 2016 and earn its first win in East Lansing since 2001.
•IU's 38-21 victory over No. 23 Michigan was its first over the Wolverines since Oct. 24, 1987 (14-10).
•The Hoosiers 36-35, overtime win against No. 8 Penn State in the season opener was the sixth against a Top-10 opponent in school history, with the last coming at No. 9 Ohio State (31-10) on Oct. 10, 1987.
•It marked Indiana's first Top-10 victory at Memorial Stadium since Nov. 25, 1967 (No. 3 Purdue, 19-14).
•IU defeated PSU, U-M, MSU and UW in the same season for the first time in program history and beat the Wolverines and Spartans in the same year for the first time since 1967.

The AFCA has named a Coach of the Year since 1935. The Werner Ladder AFCA?FBS Coach of the Year award is the oldest and most prestigious of all the Coach of the Year awards and is the only one chosen exclusively by coaches.

Werner Ladder became the title sponsor of the AFCA FBS Regional and National Coach of the Year awards in August of 2019. Werner is the world leader in ladders and has a complete line of climbing products designed for working at heights.

"Werner is once again excited to be the sponsor and associated with such a prestigious award," said Stacy Gardella, vice president of brand marketing at WernerCo. "Coach Allen led Indiana to one of its greatest seasons in 2020 as the Hoosiers 'stepped up' to every challenge they faced."

Most Awards: Penn State's Joe Paterno has the most AFCA FBS National Coach of the Year awards with five. He won his honors in 1968, 1972, 1982, 1986 and 2005. Second behind Paterno is Alabama's Paul "Bear" Bryant with three honors in 1961, 1971 and 1973. Three coaches are tied for third with two honors each: Darrell Royal, Texas, 1963, 1970; John McKay, USC, 1962, 1972 and Gary Patterson, TCU, 2009, 2014.

About Werner
WERNER, a WernerCo brand, is the world leader in ladders and has a complete line of climbing products designed for working at heights. The portfolio includes ladders, attic ladders, scaffolding, pump jacks, stages, planks, stepstools, accessories and fall protection equipment including harnesses, lanyards, anchors and compliance kits. From ladders to fall protection, Werner provides a full line of climbing equipment that's engineered for maximum safety, durability and productivity at every height. All Werner products meet or exceed applicable international safety standards. For more information, visit www.wernerladder.com.

About AFCA
The AFCA was founded in 1922 and currently has more than 11,000 members around the world ranging from the high school level to the professional ranks. According to its constitution, the AFCA was formed, in part, to "maintain the highest possible standards in football and in the coaching profession" and to "provide a forum for the discussion and study of all matters pertaining to football."