Indiana may just be a football school now.
As the Hoosiers' basketball program has struggled for more than a decade now, Tom Allen's football program has filled the void. Allen's team snapped IU's 24-year AP poll drought last season, and in 2020 climbed all the way to the AP Top 10. The Hoosiers finished the year 6-2, in second place in the vaunted Big Ten East, and ranked No. 12 in the AP poll, the program's highest finish in more than half a century.
As such, Indiana has increased its commitment to Allen, handing him a record contract that will push his average pay near the $5 million mark.
"Tom Allen has proven himself to be not only the right person for our student-athletes and our program, but one of the best football coaches in the country," said IU AD Scott Dolson said. "The enthusiasm and outlook for our program is at an all-time high, and the future of Indiana Football is in great hands. I look forward to Tom leading our program for many years to come."
Indiana announced Monday it has extended Allen through the 2027 campaign, with an average pay of $4.9 million over the term.
The extension is part of a deal he signed following the 2019 campaign, which triggers automatic 1-year extensions each year he leads Indiana to a bowl game.
Overall, Allen stands at 24-21 in four full seasons upon taking over for Kevin Wilson at the close of the 2016 season. That includes a 14-7 mark over the past two seasons, including 11-5 in Big Ten play. The 11 Big Ten wins over a 2-year period are an Indiana football record.
"I would like to thank Scott Dolson President McRobbie and the Board of Trustees for their support and investment into our football program and our staff," Allen said. "I'm excited about what we are building here and how we are building it. Having said that, we have unfinished business that we will continue to chase after every single day. LEO!"
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