As we wrote yesterday, IU football head coach Tom Allen finished the season both with an 8-4 record, and as the lowest paid coach in the Big Ten.
That changed today as Indiana announced a new seven year contract with Allen, that will pay the Hoosier head coach average annual compensation of $3.9 million per year.
Based on the announced terms, the deal still leaves Allen near the bottom of Big Ten coaches on a per year basis but more than doubles the $1.805 annual haul under his old contract. As we wrote yesterday, the bottom line here is that Allen wants to be at Indiana, and the school simply needed to give him a fair deal.
That appears to have happened as the new deal leaves Allen well compensated, but also seems like a reasonable contract for Indiana.
Here is the updated estimated annual compensation of Big Ten coaches based on data from Steve Berkowitz of USA Today:
- Jim Harbaugh, Michigan, $7,504,000
- Jeff Brohm, Purdue, $6,600,000
- James Franklin, Penn State, $5,650,000
- Pat Fitzgerald, Northwestern, $5,144,937
- Scott Frost, Nebraska, $5,000,000
- Kirk Ferentz, Iowa, $4,800,000
- P.J. Fleck, Minnesota, $4,600,000
- Ryan Day, Ohio State, $4,500,000
- Mark Dantonio, Michigan State, $4,399,437
- Paul Chryst, Wisconsin, $4,150,000
- Lovie Smith, Illinois, $4,000,000
- Greg Schiano, Rutgers, $4,000,000
- Tom Allen, Indiana, $3,900,000
- Mike Locksley, Maryland, $2,500,000
(Note: Allen will make more than IU basketball head coach Archie Miller’s $3.4 million per year salary)
Below is the full release from IU Athletics on Allen’s new deal.
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana University Vice President and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Fred Glass announced today that IU and IU Football Coach Tom Allen have agreed to terms on a new seven-year contract with an average annual compensation of $3.9 million.
FRED GLASS:
“When I hired Tom to be our head football coach I said I was doing so because he is a leader of men who is demanding without being demeaning, and a proven, successful coach on a national scale with deep Indiana ties who cares about his players, and they care back,” said Glass. “In his three seasons he has proven to be all of that and more which is why I believe the future of Indiana Football is in great hands. I thank Tom and his team for their transparent, good-faith approach to these conversations, as well as President McRobbie without whose counsel and support this would not have been possible.”
TOM ALLEN:
“I am humbled and thankful that President McRobbie and Mr. Glass continue to believe in our staff and the winning culture that we are creating,” Allen said. “I love our staff and appreciate their tireless efforts as we continue to build this program into a winner, the right way. Thank you to Indiana University, our fans, the Bloomington community and all of Hoosier Nation for their support. I am so appreciative of the young men who represent IU in such a first-class manner. We have a tremendous group of players, I am proud to be their head coach, and I am 100-percent committed to their success on the field, in the classroom and in life. It’s no secret Indiana University is a special place to me. I was born a Hoosier, raised a Hoosier and I am thrilled with the opportunity to remain a Hoosier for a long, long time to come.”
PRESIDENT McROBBIE
“Tom has done an excellent job in leading Indiana University’s football program and positioning it for an extremely bright future,” said IU President Michael A. McRobbie. “In guiding his players through a breakthrough season that will culminate in an upcoming bowl game, recruiting several of the most talented classes in the history of IU football and working tirelessly to create a winning culture in Bloomington, he has built a foundation for many years of success in competing with the Big Ten’s best.
“A born-and-bred Hoosier, Tom has also captured the hearts of our many fans with his unbridled energy and enthusiasm, his unwavering belief in and loyalty to his players, and his passion for IU and his home state. This is clearly the start of something very special at IU, and we are extremely confident we have the right person at the helm to lift IU football to new heights.”
The contract is still being finalized and will be released once it is complete. Coach Allen and Glass will be available to the media to discuss the new contract and the status of IU’s bowl game on Sunday, Dec. 8, at 4:15 p.m. in the Henke Hall of Champions at Memorial Stadium.
Tom Allen Achievements
- Led IU to its best regular season in 26 years (8-4).
- Eight wins ties for the third most in school history, trailing only the 1945 and 1967 Big Ten Championship teams (each of which won 9).
- First winning Big Ten season in 26 years (only sixth in the last 50 years).
- First winning regular season in 12 years.
- First four conference game win streak in 26 years, second most ever and only seventh time in school history.
- First victory over Nebraska in 60 years.
- Victory over Purdue at Ross-Ade Stadium (IU’s fifth Old Oaken Bucket win in seven years).
- IU Football was nationally ranked for the first time in 25 years, breaking the oldest such drought in the country, now held by Purdue (2007).
- With one left to play, already has more wins (18) in his first three years as head coach than anyone in IU Football history (closest second is 14).
- Qualified IU for just its fourth bowl game in 25 years (third in the last five years), two of which he’s led the program as either Defensive Coordinator or Head Coach.
- Indiana ranks 38th nationally in total defense and 34th nationally in total offense, making it one of only three Big Ten programs to rank in the top 40 nationally in both categories (the other two being respective East and West Big Ten Division Champions Ohio State and Wisconsin).
- Has accomplished this despite season-ending injuries to two of IU’s most valuable players: starting quarterback Michael Penix, Jr. (who was twice named B1G Freshman of the Week before his injury) and four-year starting left tackle Coy Cronk (who in addition to starting every game of his career –40, was also a Freshman All-American and on this year’s preseason Outland Trophy Watch List for the Lineman of the Year).
- Has accomplished this despite having a very young team with 80 of the 111 players being freshmen or sophomores in their eligibility, making IU the third youngest team in the Big Ten and 14th youngest nationally.
- His first two recruiting classes were the two highest-ranked in IU Football history and include the two highest-ranked individual Indiana Football recruits in history and four of the top six players from Indiana.
- That the vast majority of the team are freshmen and sophomores and the last two recruiting classes are the highest-ranked in IU history portend very well for the future of the program.
- A school-record 29 players earned Academic All-Big Ten honors last year.
Agreed Terms
- Seven year contract (12/1/2019-11/30/2026).
- $3,900,000 in average annual compensation.
- $27,300,000 in total contract value.
- Guarantee: 100% total compensation for the first three years and 50% total compensation for last four years.
- Bowl/Championship Bonuses and Buyout provisions consistent with those for other Big Ten Football Head Coaches.
- $500,000 added to total assistant coach/strength and conditioning/operations salary pool.
- A year is added back to the contract term for each year IU qualifies for a bowl game. In no event could the contract ever exceed the original seven-year term.
You can follow us on Twitter: @daily_hoosier
Find us on Facebook: thedailyhoosier
The Daily Hoosier –“Where Indiana fans assemble when they’re not at Assembly”
Seven ways to support completely free IU coverage at no additional cost to you.
