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

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 a strong campaign for the Tigers in 2024.

Tom Allen is another well-paid hire for Clemson coach Dabo Swinney's staff, which includes assistants Garrett Riley, Matt Luke, Chris Rumph, and Nick Eason.

It was reported on Monday that Allen had agreed to become Clemson’s. He was removed from Penn State’s official website on Monday night, and his hiring was approved by Clemson university higher-ups on Tuesday.

Clemson Athletics and Dabo Swinney officially announced Tom Allen will be the new defensive Coordinator. Allen joins the Tigers following a short stint at Penn State.

The Clemson Tigers recently made a massive change to their coaching staff, moving on from defensive coordinator Wes Goodwin. He was defensive coordinator/linebackers coach for three seasons, but Dabo Swinney wanted to make a change after a disappointing 2024 season on that side of the ball.