LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — The feeling was that Indiana would not move on from football coach Tom Allen until after the 2024 college football season.
Not because of Allen’s record, which was 9-27 the last three seasons or 33-49 overall.
The reason was the staggering buyout clause in Allen’s contract, which was more than $20 million.
Wrong.
A source confirmed the initial report by Zach Osterman of the Indianapolis Star that the Hoosiers dismissed Allen on Sunday, less than 24 hours after IU finished 3-9 with a 35-31 loss at Purdue.
It was the final act in a dramatic fall for Allen, a native Hoosier from New Castle. After taking over from Kevin Wilson for the final game of the 2016 season, Allen led the Hoosiers to an 8-5 record in 2019 and a 6-2 mark in the COVID-shortened 2020 season.
IU played in back-to-back bowl games in Florida against Southeastern Conference opponents, losing both games. Behind quarterback Michael Penix Jr., the Hoosiers climbed as high as No. 11 in the college football playoff rankings and No. 7 in the Associated Press Top 25 after starting 6-1 in 2020.
Allen was named Big Ten coach of the year and won the national coach of the year award from the American Football Coaches Association.
But IU lost the Outback Bowl to Ole Miss -- and never recovered. After starting the 2021 season ranked No. 17, IU lost to Iowa 34-6 on its way to a 2-10 season. Penix transferred to Washington, where he led the Huskies to an unbeaten regular season in 2023, and he is expected to be a finalist for the Heisman Trophy.
IU went 4-8 last season and 3-9 this season. The Hoosiers' only Big Ten wins during that period were against Wisconsin in 2023 and Illinois and Michigan State last season for a 3-24 record over that stretch.
The Hoosiers broke a 3-year contract with Louisville, buying their way out of a trip to L&N Cardinal Stadium in 2024 and canceling a game in Bloomington in 2025 in an effort to craft a more winnable schedule.
IU athletic director Scott Dolson will conduct a national search.
Some of the early names mentioned for the IU job are Toledo coach Jason Candle; South Alabama coach Kane Wommack (a former IU defensive coordinator); former Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald; Willie Fritz of Tulane and Florida International coach Tom Herman, who was fired by Texas.
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