CHARLOTTE — Last year, Jeff Brohm did something at Louisville that had never been done before. Beat Clemson.

The Tigers had won the first eight games of the series after the Cardinals began ACC play in 2014, but last season’s 33-21 win over the Tigers, and on their home field no less, exposed some weaknesses with the Clemson run defense, with Louisville racking up more than 200 yards on the ground.

It was an issue the staff could never get corrected, with South Carolina, SMU, Texas and even The Citadel finding tons of success running the ball against the Tigers down the stretch. Those issues were part of the reason why Dabo Swinney went out and hired Tom Allen away from Penn State to serve as Clemson’s defensive coordinator.

“Tom’s got a lot of energy,” Brohm told The Clemson Insider during the ACC Kickoff. “He loves the game of football. He is into it.”

Having served as the head coach at Purdue from 2017-2022, Brohm is more than familiar with what Allen brings to the table. Allen has also spent plenty of time in the Big 10, serving as head coach at Indiana for six seasons, before joining James Franklin’s staff at Penn State for the 2024 season.

During his lone season in Happy Valley, Allen’s stingy defense was a big part of Penn State’s run to the semifinal round of the College Football Playoff. The Nittany Lions finished seventh in the nation in total defense (294.8 yards per game) and eighth in the nation in scoring defense (16.5 points per game) under Allen’s guidance in 2024. The unit finished second nationally in tackles for loss (119) and fifth in sacks (44).

Penn State also finished ninth nationally in run defense, allowing just 101.9 yards per game and just 3.05 yards per carry.

“He has coached a lot of football,” Brohm added. “So he brings a lot of experience. That is a veteran coach that will be a great addition to the staff. He’s coached in the Big 10 for a long time. He has coached in other conferences. Even his experience at Indiana as a head coach. He has played top teams quite a bit. So, he kind of knows what works and what doesn’t. Now he is getting a very talented roster he gets to piece together.”

With talent like Peter Woods, TJ Parker, DeMonte Capehart, Sammy Brown and Khalil Barnes, Allen will once again have pieces capable of producing another stingy unit.

“He will fit in great,” Brohm said. “Of course, Dabo has a great personality. Tom does as well. He will be a great addition to the staff.”

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