Penn State defensive coordinator Tom Allen reluctantly stopped practicing whistles this spring. Apparently, he blew the whistle once during practice, causing head coach James Franklin to frown and ask, “Who did that?” The practice whistle is from Franklin.
“He made me take it off and put it in my pocket,” Allen said of Franklin and the whistle. “I'm trained to play the flute, so if I had a flute around my neck, I'd just blow it.”
Whistle aside, Allen has had a smooth transition from seven years as Indiana University's head coach to his first spring as Penn State's defensive coordinator. He's back in charge of the defense, coaching on the field, devising defensive strategies and leaving decision-making to others.
“When you're not a head coach, there's a lot of things you don't have to deal with,” Allen recently told reporters after practice in State College. “So it's refreshing in a way to be able to just focus on player development, building relationships with players and defense, the general aspects of that, the personnel side. It's just a film study. You can go in there, close the door, and see what happens. If something happens, I can tell Coach Franklin. I'm really excited to be back in this role. I really feel like that's where my heart is.”
So let's take a peek at what Allen saw and devised throughout the first half of Penn State's spring football practice.
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Abdul Carter is gaining confidence defensively
At Indiana University, Allen also adopted a position known as the “bull” on defense, where he previously coached. This is a hybrid end/outside linebacker spot for him, and he needs a particularly athletic player to fill that role. Allen said Penn State's abundance of athletic ends (especially newly recruited ends) will result in fewer “bulls” being used on defense. But Carter will definitely show off aspects of the position at defensive end.
“You can see him getting more and more confident every day in playing that position, and I think the flexibility of his position just adds to that,” Allen said. “That's going to be a big thing for us in situational football opportunities and what he can do not only as a rushing defender but also as a player who can play in space and be a linebacker as well. I think he has a special skill set, he's obviously very talented and he's working hard right now.”
Introducing Penn State's new defensive position, the Lions
Fans will remember the “Lion” position in Penn State's past offenses, where former quarterbacks like Tommy Stevens and Will Revis played as run-pass options. The Lions have shifted to defense and found a new home in the secondary. Allen said Lyon will combine the skills of a cornerback and a safety and use his size in case a bigger cornerback can cover a lot of ground.
“This allows us to take some types of athletes into space,” Allen said. “So we use that position and we believe in it, but it's definitely used situationally based on what we're seeing. … It requires a unique skill set. You have to be able to do multiple things, and I feel like we have some people on our team that are well-suited for that position.”
Allen mentioned the return of starting safety Jalen Reed, but expects cornerbacks like AJ Harris and Zion Tracy to be competitive. Cornerback Zaky Wheatley, a player to watch in the spring, has a 6-2 frame and could be a natural talent.
Allen's defensive “non-negotiables”
Franklin used the words “non-negotiable” when describing the interview process for new coordinators. Both sides had them. Franklin included his overall philosophy and brought the coaching fundamentals the coordinators felt they needed to import. These were Allen's.
“The first thing I said was points, tackles and effort,” Allen said. “For me, there really is no magical plan. The magic lies in the belief of the players and their ability to execute the plan. They are the ones who make it special.”
Adapt to Penn State's talent
Allen recognized the difference in talent between Penn State and other programs, including the talent at Indiana University. It mainly revolves around depth. Pennsylvania has more of that. Allen noticed a difference at one defensive position in particular.
“There is no question that the front line is a clear difference,” he said. “With their depth and the number of players who have length and can run, that in itself definitely allows them to do more than just take chances. To create pressure. We had to do a lot of things. We had to do a lot of things to gamble that we couldn't bring in six guys under pressure. That factor. This will allow us to maximize the number of players and give us the depth to prepare for a long season.”
AllPennState is your destination for Penn State news, opinions and perspectives on the SI.com network. Publisher Mark Wogenrich has covered Penn State for more than 20 years, tracking three coaching staffs, three Big Ten titles, and an impressive catalog of articles. Follow him on Twitter @MarkWogenrich.
