Allen, the former Indiana head coach and Penn State defensive coordinator, will make $1.9 million in total salary in 2025, $2 million in 2026 and $2.1 million in 2027. That makes him the highest paid assistant on staff, jumping offensive coordinator Garrett Riley (annual salary of $1.75 million).

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.

Allen, who spent seven seasons as Indiana’s head coach, will become the defensive coordinator at Clemson University, according to ESPN’s Pete Thamel’s X post Tuesday. The 54-year-old Allen signed a three-year deal worth $6 million to replace Wes Goodwin, who was fired after three seasons with the Tigers.

Allen, he said, wasn’t looking for a job. He was laser-focused on Penn State’s CFP semifinal game against Notre Dame at the Orange Bowl. The Nittany Lions made the field as an at-large team (No. 6 seed) and won games against SMU and Boise State.

After one season as Penn State's defensive coordinator, Tom Allen is reportedly joining Dabo Swinney's staff at Clemson.

Defensive coordinator Tom Allen is leaving Penn State after one season to take the same job at Clemson, according to several reports Monday. Allen spent the previous seven seasons at Indiana as the Hoosiers head coach before he was fired after the 2023 season. Nittany Lions coach James Franklin quickly hired him.

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.

Clemson is working on a deal to make Penn State defensive coordinator Tom Allen its new defensive coordinator.

Tom Allen became Dabo Swinney's fourth defensive coordinator hire. Allen explained Wednesday why he left Penn State after one season.

Tom Allen wasn't looking for a new job after Penn State finished its run to the College Football Playoff semifinals, but the right job found him anyway. Allen netted a $300,000 raise in trading Penn State for Clemson but,

"That's right smack in the middle of the school year," Allen went on to explain to the Clemson press. "So we've had to pull our kids out... Well, who had to do all that? It wasn't me. I was off recruiting.