Penn State football had arguably the best, if not the best defense in college football last season. The Nittany Lions led the nation in sacks and yards per game and third in the nation in points per game. Heading into 2024, Penn State will maintain the same standards with new defensive coordinator Tom Allen.
Replaces former defensive coordinator Manny Diaz He took the head coaching position at Duke University. In December, Penn State wasted no time in hired Allen We will fill the vacancy after 12 days. Even with the start of spring practice, the Nittany Lions' defensive philosophy under Coach Allen hasn't changed much.
“The mentality is the same. That attitude is the same on our defense,” defensive tackle Dovon Aries said. “We aim to be the best.”
Aries said Allen's three core values on defense are takeaway, tackle and effort. These same values were evident in Penn State's defense last year, as the Nittany Lions were second in the nation in both total defense and turnover margin. As a result, the transition from installing protection in the classroom to the field was “easy,” Elise said.
“When someone comes along who has the same attitude, the same ideals, and wants the same things as you, it's not difficult to transition,” Elise says. “Coach Allen wants to be the best in everything. So it was very simple.”
But Elise noted Allen's emphasis on hard work. The six-year veteran said that of Allen's three core values, effort is the most important because effort does not require talent or skill. However, it can impact takeaways and tackles, which is an important part of building an elite defense.
“You saw last year, we were flying to the ball. It didn't take any talent to do that. It was just effort,” Elise said. “Coach Allen really instilled that in us, especially since he moved on from Coach Allen. [Diaz] To Coach Allen, that hasn't changed much. ”
“It's just a sideline thing. The guys are running to the ball with efficiency,” linebacker Kobe King added of the defensive effort. “Everyone's just out having fun.”
Regarding the young players, Coach King said he has seen many young linebackers adapt well to Allen's new defense. The redshirt juniors noted their effort and desire to learn a new system.
“I see players like Tony who are as committed as they are.” [Rojas]Keon [Wylie], Caveon Keyes, and Tyrese Mills.They're probably in the movie room [right now]” said King. “The new guys are always working hard. They want to learn.”
While the philosophy hasn't changed much, King and Aries said there are aspects of Allen's coaching style and defensive scheme that differ from Diaz's. King said Allen was loud and always lost his voice, and generally said he brought a different dimension to the defense. Elise spoke at length about Allen's personality.
“He's very quirky. He's a very passionate person,” Elise said. “That spirit is just there from the top and it just trickles down. So we appreciate Coach Allen and his attitude and perspective.”
