Penn State football defensive coordinator Tom Allen was named a Broyles Award semifinalist on Tuesday. The award is given to the top assistant coach in college football.

Allen is in his first season as Penn State’s defensive coordinator. He’s overseen a group that ranks No. 4 total defense in the FBS with 266.8 yards allowed per game and the No. 6 scoring defense with 14 points allowed per game.

Allen previously spent eight years as Indiana’s head coach. Bryant Haines, the Hoosiers’ defensive coordinator, joined Ohio State’s Jim Knowles and Oregon’s Tosh Lupoi as the three other semifinalists from the Big Ten.

Five finalists will be selected from the list of 15 semifinalists for the award before an overall winner will be named. The award will be presented on February 13.

Penn State and Allen are scheduled to play Oregon in the Big Ten Championship at 8 p.m. on Saturday, December 7, at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana.

About the Author

Nolan Wick

Nolan wrote for Onward State from 2021 until 2025. He mainly covered Penn State football, men’s hockey, and baseball, and he was also an associate editor. A Silver Spring, Maryland, native, Nolan is an avid D.C. sports and Liverpool fan. You can follow him on Twitter @nolan_wick.

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