As anticipated, Clemson paid a pretty penny to hire defensive coordinator Tom Allen away from Penn State.
Allen inked a 3-year deal that will pay him $1.9 million in 2025, $2 million in 2026 and $2.1 million in 2027.
That's a substantial step up from what Allen earned at Penn State and from what Clemson paid former defensive coordinator Wes Goodwin.
Allen made $1.5 million at Penn State in 2024 and was set to earn $1.6 million in 2025, per the terms of his previous deal. Clemson paid Goodwin $1.4 million.
The $1.9 million salary would've put Allen on the edge of the 10 highest-paid assistants in college football in 2024.
However, it's still a far cry from making him the highest-paid defensive coordinator in Clemson history. That honor still belongs to Brent Venables, who made $2.5 million in 2021 and would've made $2.8 million in 2024, per the terms of the last contract he signed before taking the Oklahoma head coaching position following that season.
“We’ve got a great football coach — and a great leader of men — coming to Clemson,” Swinney said of Allen. “He brings a ton of experience and was highly recommended by some of the best people in this business. He is obviously coming off of a great year as the defensive coordinator at Penn State, and we’re excited to welcome him as our defensive coordinator here at Clemson.”
As always, stay tuned to The Scoop for the latest.