Penn State DC Tom Allen’s deal for 3 years, begins at $1.5 million, per source

Penn State will be paying its new defensive coordinator a salary similar to its recently hired offensive coordinator.

Tom Allen, who was announced as defensive coordinator Tuesday afternoon, will make $1.5 million in the first year of his deal, according to a source with knowledge of the contract.

Penn State Board of Trustees’ subcommittee on compensation met Tuesday afternoon and unanimously approved a contract for the new coordinator.

Allen, according to the source, will make $1.6 million in his second year and $1.7 million in the final year of his three year deal.

He was fired by Indiana after the end of the 2023 season and negotiated his buyout down to $15.5 million, made in two payments of $7.75 million. That amount will not be offset by his new salary with the Nittany Lions, according to ESPN’s Adam RIttenberg.

That falls nearly in line with what the team is paying new offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki, who was hired earlier in December.

Kotelnicki, according to a source, will make $1.6 million in his first year, $1.7 million in his second year, $1.8 million in his third year and $2 million in the final year of the deal.

That means the Nittany Lions will be paying their offensive and defensive coordinators a combined $3.1 million this season.

Allen was previously the head coach at Indiana where he went 33-49 in just over seven seasons. He was previously the program’s defensive coordinator for a year before he took over and has been the DC at South Florida at the FBS level.

He is replacing Manny Diaz, who left Penn State earlier this month to be the head coach at Duke.