It might seem odd to see a defensive coordinator for a team that reached the College Football Playoff semifinals to take a new job.

CLEMSON, S.C. — Head Coach Dabo Swinney and Clemson Football announced today that Clemson has hired Tom Allen as Defensive Coordinator. The hire was finalized Tuesday by the Clemson University Board of Trustees Compensation Committee.

Penn State has officially lost its defensive coordinator. Tom Allen, after one just season with the Nittany Lions, was formally named Clemson’s new defensive coordinator on Tuesday afternoon.

The Clemson Tigers shook the college football world this week with the announcement of their new defensive coordinator being hired from one of the best units in the country. Clemson made things official on Tuesday with former Indiana Hoosiers head coach and Penn State Nittany Lions defensive architect Tom Allen to take over the Tigers defense and replace the fired Wes Goodwin.

Tom Allen, the former Penn State defensive coordinator and Indiana head coach, will not hit the road to recruit. Dabo Swinney said Ben Boulware will do that.

Dabo Swinney’s philosophy is “Big people beat little people.” Translation. Swinney wants to dominate the lines of scrimmage, which is what drew him to former Penn

The Clemson Tigers have been very busy this offseason trying to make the improvements necessary to help this team win a national championship next year. It was

Allen replaced Manny Diaz as Penn State's defensive coordinator after Diaz became the head coach at Duke. PSU’s defense was one of the best in college football in 2024 and allowed as many yards per play overall as Clemson did per rushing attempt. Opposing offenses averaged just 3.1 yards a carry against the Nittany Lions.