Live updates: Tom Allen signing day press conference

New Penn State defensive coordinator Tom Allen is appearing in front of reporters on Wednesday for the first time in his tenure with the Nittany Lions. Announced Tuesday as the new leader on the defensive side of the ball, he’ll tackle a variety of questions from the media at Beaver Stadium.

And Blue White Illustrated is on hand to provide live updates from the event.

Live updates: Tom Allen introductory press conference

(Page does not refresh automatically. Paraphrased responses will appear in reverse chronological order.)

Questions in the room

On things off his plate, and things coming on:

It’s being able to dive into the film room and study in the offseason. When you’re a HC, you spend so much time in everything else. Wants to be able to study. Loves this time of year off the road, talk ball. Talked to some DC about getting together. Bouncing ideas off each other. That’s a big thing he hasn’t been able to do. Be in a meeting room and not get interrupted. A consistent time to focus on what you want. The evaluation of the why of defense. No magic in defense. Magic is in players. But you have to have answers, and offseason gives you that time to come up with them, wrinkles in the game, and zero in on different phases of the game. What you can do to make the system better. That helps him.

And it’s more time with a smaller group of guys. To build even deeper relationships with players. Wants to capture their hearts and minds, and do that by spending time with them one on one or small groups to help them take their game to another level.

On who reached out to who:

James reached out to him. That started the process.

Wife is from Pennsylvania. Family from Pottstown. When he was in college, they met, and that first summer wanted to visit her, took a Greyhound, took 18 hours from Indianapolis to King of Prussia. Had no idea bus stopped at every single town. Did that twice. Hopefully she knew and parents knew he was serious about her. First experience of the turnpike. 

So many great linebackers here. As a kid, you watch Penn State play and so great. Sean Lee did an intro for the commits. Dan Connor is their room. Just loved the way he played the game. So physical. That has become the expectation. At that position, you have a chance to be great. To have that tradition. 

If you want to have a great defense, need to have great linebackers. Those guys communicating, talking, and flying around.

On the process:

Will talk to the players at the bowl site. Will reach out to commits now. Had a chance to FaceTime with them last night. Going through, watching a guy. Recruited some of those guys as well during the process. Wants to sit down one on one. Believes in that. Can’t get to know someone without talking to them. It’s about being with them beyond practice. Get to know their families, what they value, what’s important. That’s important. Build those relationships, find out their goals, and align their goals with what they need to do to chase greatness every day.

Once he knows what they want, help them get there. It’s a time consuming process he looks forward to. Then building relationships with the coaches is a daily thing. Bottom line is it takes time. Important to get here in this timeframe, get to the bowl site, then interact, sit in and take relationship to the next level.

On going back to being a head coach:

Not coming here for that purpose. Wants to be a DC. So fired up to be in this position at this place. Learned a ton. Thinks about that role. Has grown so much since the last time a DC. Will use that to allow him to be a better DC. Knows what it’s like to sit in that seat. Will be a better assistant, leader of the defense. Excited about that as the role and having that as focus instead of the 10,000 other things you have to do in that role.

Evaluating current Penn State talent:

Some guys will leave. Interesting to look at it as an opposing coach, and now see how to use these guys. Excites him to dive in there, tweak some things to maximize the current roster. Special players in the class they just signed, too. Looking forward to that process.

On watching film of game from a few weeks ago:

Could watch that and talk about what they were doing. A lot of unique things about the dynamic of it all. To move to a team that you’ve played, in a conference you were in. Tremendous advantage to know the conference and coaches you coached against. Recruiting perspective, too.

Michael Penix:

It was a touchdown. Depends on the glasses you’re wearing. Has a big picture in his office he scored. It was a great game and a great win for the Indiana Hoosiers.

On being a guy not intimidated to take over the top defense:

That’s the expectation and you want to be at a place where it’s high. You look at what they accomplished this past season, dominating in run, throw, sacks, and disruption. But at the same time, you want to go where standards are high. Hats off to Coach Diaz and whole staff. Great chemistry. That doesn’t happen by accident. That excites him. Build off what they have here. Standard and expectation of playing great defense at Penn State. That’s the positive pressure you want, to be driven toward greatness.

Will go to the bowl site, meet with guys, watch practice habits. How the linebackers talk and communicate. Interactions with the coaches. Relationship build is No. 1. Then will study and watch film. Mesh all the great things accomplished here this season. Building off it and enhancing it.

On what a Tom Allen defense means:

Doesn’t like to use “mine” and “I” it is “we” and “ours”

Tackling, takeaways, and effort. Aggressive defense. Doing a good job disguising things and making QB process. Changing windows. Be aggressive with that. A lot of similarities, even when Brent was here, and same with Manny. A lot of similarities to the way they think and do things. A big part of the fit piece for him and Penn State and Franklin. Let the guys play fast, free, with confidence, and that preparation creates that confidence. Simplicity, but complexity as it is presented to the offense.

On impressions of Franklin over eight years at IU:

Seeing what he’s done here after walking into this situation. Building the program the way he wanted. You could see talent increase every year. The players physically, the way they develop, how they test in the draft. They’re doing something right. The physicality and athleticism. When he first started, Saquon was the tailback they were trying to tackle.

Discipline of the team. Impressed with the way players handle themselves. You see how those players interact at media day. Class oozes from this place and Coach Franklin. Went against him at Vanderbilt, too. Everywhere he’s gone, defense has played at a high level. The mainstay is the way the defense plays. After being in role of HC. When you’re trying to hire the side you don’t coach, it’s a big deal. That’s a tribute to him and the vision he wants there and making that a reality.

On coaching linebackers LBU:

That’s where his eyes go on that side of the ball. Where his heart is. Sat in every LB meeting as HC at Indiana. Loves that position. So excited to be a part of a program that is known for that. Finally got a chance to do that once he got cleared last night. Fired up to be at a place that attracts that elite level linebacker. Three linebackers AA at IU the past eight years. Excited about that position. Loves it, knows it, sees it. A group he wants to challenge to run the defense. They make tackles, plays, and leadership. Excited about that group and chance to lead them.

Getting back into DC:

Looking forward to it. It’s almost impossible to be a DC while the HC. Transitioning back, is pretty excited about it. A lot of things you do as a head coach that aren’t pleasant. Complexity of college football worse over last few years. Excited to get back into coaching defense.

Why to take a job right away:

He’s a football coach. Loves what he does. This opportunity, on this timeframe, was one he immediately had interest in. To coach and go through the process. Expected to get right back into it when they happened. Maybe quicker than expected. But so much respect for this program, getting to know Coach Franklin and how he’s built things. So when the opportunity presented itself, went after it.