Tom Allen Reflects on 2020 Season, Coaching Awards and The Future For Indiana Football

Tom Allen spoke to the media Tuesday and talked about what his team accomplished this past season and how they're preparing for next season.

Dylan Wallace | Jan 12, 2021

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Now that Indiana's season has been over for 10 days, and the college football season officially concluded Monday night, head coach Tom Allen has had time to reflect on the last four months.

Indiana finished the season 6-2 and ranked No. 12 in the Associated Press Top-25 poll. Allen has been able to speak with all the players and coaches about the season since the Outback Bowl ended, and he admits this season was special yet difficult.

"All of the challenges that we had to go through were unprecedented in the preparation process, but then to be able to do the things we did on the field that, they either had not happened here before or had not happened here in a long, long time," Allen said. "So, just so proud of our coaching staff. So proud of our players."

As a result for the Hoosiers' on-field success, Allen was named AFCA National Coach of the Year and FCA National Coach of the Year.

Allen couldn't help but look back at his past when he found out Tuesday. He started coaching at Division III, worked his way to NAIA, then to the SEC and finally to the Big Ten, coaching the team in his home state.

"It just makes you think about all of those things," Allen said. "The journey that you go on and all the people that made you who you are."

One of the special moments for Allen was when he was able to tell his dad he won these awards.

Allen said his dad got emotional and cried when he told him about it.

"When I had a chance to call and tell him about this award, it was a tremendous time together," Allen said. "He knows what it means, he knows the individuals have won it in the past, and the guys that he has looked up to. It is special for a coach's kid who was raised in this profession. I am proud of this team and really blessed."

But now that the accolades and reflections are over, it's all about preparation for Indiana from January to August.

Players will begin working with the training staff as early as next week and the new arrivals will be in town as Indiana readies for spring ball.

In numerous "way-too-early" polls for the 2021 college football season, Indiana is ranked inside the top 10. This is will be the first offseason in a long time where Indiana will receive a lot of national recognition and have high expectations placed on them from people on the outside.

For Allen, that's a good problem to have.

"The ability to say hey, we are top 10 football team. You have to prepare that way. You have to live that way, act that way, and perform that way," Allen said. "That is the expectation. You are not sneaking up on anybody anymore, and that is a great thing. That is a good issue to have, a good problem to have to address."

Allen felt like the players got a good taste of that for a majority of the 2020 season as well. Indiana started out with a bang by defeating Penn State in overtime and instantly moved into the top 25 the week after.

The Hoosiers remained in the top 25 all season long, getting as high as No. 7 in the final weeks, so Allen thinks the team has what it takes to prepare like a top team in the country.

"As I said this from the very beginning when I got here, we had to change the expectation and create belief, and that is what we are doing," Allen said. "That is reflective in the way we are ranked."

It's all about momentum now for the Hoosiers.

Much like heading into the 2020 offseason, Indiana has a sour taste in its mouth from the Outback Bowl on Jan. 2. That alone is enough motivation for this team, and with a majority of the roster returning, Allen can't help but be excited for the coming months.

"We want to be able to build off of this momentum that we have created in our program, and we are going to move forward in 2021 with a lot of excitement and anticipation for this offseason, and all that means for the future of our program," he said.

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