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The Indiana Daily Student

football

Tom Allen senses excitement heading into 2017 offseason

Tom Allen talks in front of the media Wednesday night following Kevin Wilson's resignation from the football program. Allen who was hired as the defensive coordinator for this season will take over as head coach immediately and Glass said he will earn a six-year contract with details to be finalized later.

As IU Coach Tom Allen stood in front of a camera to address the state of IU football Monday morning, the Old Brass Spittoon and the Old Oaken Bucket sat on a shelf behind him.

Former IU head coach Kevin Wilson led the Hoosiers to those victories against Michigan State and Purdue in 2016. The Bucket victory was the final game Wilson would coach for the Hoosiers.

The last month has been what Allen called a whirlwind for the program. Wilson resigned from his post, and Allen took over and began to piece together the puzzle that is a 2017 recruiting class and a new coaching staff.

Foster Farms Bowl

As IU Athletics’ Greg Murray held the microphone to Allen, the transition seemed more official than ever, even though Allen had already coached the Hoosiers to a 26-24 loss to Utah in the Foster Farms Bowl.

“It was kind of a microcosm of our entire season,” Allen said about the bowl game loss. “But I feel like it gives us tremendous leverage to show where we are as a program.”

It could have been worse. Utah, which was ranked No. 19 at the time, could have steamrolled IU and its new head coach, who was coaching his first collegiate game as a head coach.

The Utes didn’t, and the Hoosiers nearly pulled out a win and only lost to a late Utah field goal. That’s the resiliency Allen said defines the program of IU football.

Recruitment

Now he leads IU into the 2017 season facing the reality of what he said will be a smaller recruiting class than usual — low 20s — and the loss of juniors Devine Redding and Marcus Oliver to the NFL and seniors Ralph Green and Dan Feeney to graduation.

Losing four strong leaders of the program means that resiliency will be needed more than ever as the program approaches a crossroads that many never expected the 2017 narrative to include.

However, there’s still excitement, Allen said in his address. There is excitement that he and new offensive coordinator Mike DeBord are back in Indiana coaching and recruiting together and excitement that juniors Rashard Fant and Tegray Scales are returning for their senior seasons on the defensive side of the ball.

“There’s a lot of excitement in Indiana high school football toward Indiana University because of the connections that I have with the state and bringing in Mike DeBord who the coaches know as well,” Allen said. “I just sense a lot of excitement towards Indiana next season.”

While IU lost one commitment from 3-star tight end Kurt Rafdal after tight ends coach James Patton was released, the Hoosiers have maintained 17 commits — a number that could have dropped after losing a head coach.

In addition to those 17 commitments, Allen said IU’s two biggest signees are Fant and Scales — the nation’s leaders in passes defended and tackles for loss in 2016 respectively — because their futures were unknown after the bowl game until they broke the silence a week ago.

Looking ahead

There’s still plenty, including hiring a new defensive coordinator and tight ends coach, to be taken care of in the offseason, but Allen said he sees 2017 as a breakthrough year, as he tries to lead the program toward a championship-contending level that he mentioned in the press conference with IU Athletics Director Fred Glass.

“This is going to be a critical set of months coming up leading up to spring football,” Allen said. “Our guys are excited, anxious to get back at it. Their bodies have had that chance to recover and rest, so now they’re champing at the bit to get back.”

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