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As first reported by Derek Tyson of ESPN, Ole Miss assistant Tom Allen will be named the new defensive coordinator for the USF Bulls. Allen has spent over 20 years in coaching, but got his start in coaching at Florida high schools.
Allen was the head coach at Temple Heights (which no longer exists) from 1992-94, and the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Armwood in 1995-96. He then moved to Indiana where after one year at Marion High School, he took over as a defensive assistant and eventually head coach at Ben Davis High from 1998-2006.
Allen then made stops at Wabash ('07), Lambuth ('08-'09), Drake ('10), and eventually Arkansas State ('11), following current Rebels head coach Hugh Freeze most of those places. He's been with the Rebels for the last three seasons as linebackers coach as well as special teams coordinator.
While at Ole Miss he's coached as part of a Rebels defense that's been quite solid (1st in FBS scoring defense, 7th in yards per play), and Ole Miss has had some monster recruiting classes as of late. The Tampa Bay Times Joey Knight's prep experience came in handy when getting quotes about Allen from coaches at Armwood, Jesuit, and Strawberry Crest.
Welcome back to Tampa, Tom.