Where Tom Allen and Indiana football’s former assistants will be working in 2024

Michael Niziolek, The Herald-Times

BLOOMINGTON — New Indiana football coach Curt Cignetti overhauled the team’s staff when he took over.

The lone holdover from Tom Allen’s tenure was offensive line coach Bob Bostad, who was one the more recent additions.

Much of Indiana’s staff from last year including Allen have landed elsewhere over the past two months. Here’s a look at where they will be coaching in 2024:

Indiana's Head Coach Tom Allen during the Indiana versus Michigan football game at Memorial Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 8, 2022.
Indiana's Head Coach Tom Allen during the Indiana versus Michigan football game at Memorial Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 8, 2022.

Tom Allen

  • Previous: Indiana head coach

  • New: Penn State defensive coordinator

Penn State coach James Franklin hired Allen to be his defensive coordinator. It will be PSU’s third new defensive coordinator in as many seasons in the wake of the departures of Brent Pry (Virginia Tech) and Manny Diaz (Duke).

"I've enjoyed following his coaching career and his experience as a head coach and defensive play caller will bring tremendous value to our program,” Franklin said, in a release. “Coach Allen has led aggressive and attacking style defenses that will complement what we have already established.”

Penn State was one of the best defenses in the country last year with the No. 2 ranked in total defense (247.6 yards allowed per game), the top ranked rushing defense (75.5 yards) and No. 3 scoring defense (13.5 points).

Indiana is scheduled to play Penn State three times over the next five seasons. The Hoosiers will host PSU in 2027 and visit State College in 2025 and 2028.

BLOOMINGTON, IN - March 04, 2023 - Indiana Hoosiers Co-Defensive Coordinator/Safeties Coach Matt Guerrieri during practice at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington, IN. Photo By Gracie Farrall/Indiana Athletics
BLOOMINGTON, IN - March 04, 2023 - Indiana Hoosiers Co-Defensive Coordinator/Safeties Coach Matt Guerrieri during practice at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington, IN. Photo By Gracie Farrall/Indiana Athletics

Matt Guerrieri

  • Previous: Indiana co-defensive coordinator/safeties coach

  • New: Ohio State safeties coach

Guerrieri returned to Ohio State where he was a senior advisor and analyst in 2022. This time he will have an on-field role as Ryan Day’s safeties coach with “additional responsibilities to be assigned” at a later date, according to a release from the university. Guerrieri is an Ohio native who attended Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin School outside of Cleveland. The move reunites Guerrieri with OSU defensive coordinator Jim Knowles. After seven years coaching alongside each other at Duke, Guerrieri was hired as the team’s defensive coordinator in 2017 when Knowles left for Oklahoma State.

Offensive Coordinator Walt Bell watches as Jack Tuttle (14) and Connor Bazelak (9) take snaps during warm-ups before the Indiana versus Western Kentucky football game at Memorial Stadium on Sept. 17, 2022.
Offensive Coordinator Walt Bell watches as Jack Tuttle (14) and Connor Bazelak (9) take snaps during warm-ups before the Indiana versus Western Kentucky football game at Memorial Stadium on Sept. 17, 2022.

Walt Bell

  • Previous: Indiana offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach

  • New: Western Michigan offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach

Allen fired Bell at midseason and replaced him with former Northern Illinois coach Rod Carey, an IU alum who was hired as an analyst in 2022. He was hired as Western Michigan as the team’s new offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. The Broncos averaged 365 yards per game (No. 80 in the FBS) and 23.7 points (No. 90).

"Walt is passionate, energetic, detailed, hard-working, and an elite recruiter,” WMU coach Lance Taylor said, in a release. “He is an experienced and dynamic play-caller with highly productive and successful offenses at the P5 and G5 level. He will be a great addition and asset to our program and will continue to raise the standard in our pursuit for excellence."

Brandon Shelby

  • Previous: Indiana assistant head coach/cornerbacks coach

  • New: Kent State cornerbacks coach

Shelby's tenure at Indiana dated back to former coach Kevin Wilson’s first season. It was the assistant’s first full-time Power Five job and he spent 13 seasons with the program. He’s reportedly joining Kent State in the same role as part of Kenni Burns staff. Burns, a former IU running back, is entering his second year as the team’s coach.

Paul Randolph

  • Previous: Indiana defensive line coach

  • New: Oklahoma State defensive line coach

The well-traveled assistant coach landed on Mike Gunday’s staff at Oklahoma State after spending two years in Bloomington. It’s the latest job in the Power Five for Randolph who previously coached the defensive line at West Virginia (2002), Alabama (2003-05), Pittsburgh (2011), Arizona State (2012-15) and Texas Tech (2019-21). He replaced Greg Richmond, who spent seven seasons coaching the position for OSU.

Anthony Tucker

  • Previous: Indiana co-offensive coordinator/wide receivers coach

  • New: Mississippi State assistant head coach/running backs coach

New Mississippi State head coach Jeff Lebby hired Tucker to be his assistant head coach and running backs coach. Tucker was the running backs coach in 2018-19 for UCF when Lebby was the team’s offensive coordinator. The 2018 UCF team was 12-1 and went to the Fiesta Bowl while having the fifth ranked offense (522.7 total yards per game) in the country. Tucker only spent one season on IU’s staff.

Defensive coordinator Chad Wilt during the first open practice of the 2022 season at the practice facility at Indiana University on Tuesday, August 2, 2022.
Defensive coordinator Chad Wilt during the first open practice of the 2022 season at the practice facility at Indiana University on Tuesday, August 2, 2022.

Chad Wilt

  • Previous: Indiana defensive coordinator/linebackers coach

  • New: Michigan State co-special teams coordinator/rush ends coach

Wilt stayed in the Big Ten as part of Jonathan Smith’s new staff at Michigan State. It will be Wilt's fourth stop in the conference after previous stints at Indiana, Minnesota and Maryland. He had success working alongside MSU’s new defensive coordinator Joe Rossi when they were on Minnesota’s staff together from 2020-21. In 2021, the Gophers had the third ranked defense in the country (278.8 yards allowed per game) and sixth ranked scoring defense (17.3 points). It’s Wilt’s first time coaching special times since 2009 when he was at Virginia. Indiana plays Michigan State in 2024 (away), 2025 (home) and 2027 (away).

Michael Niziolek is the Indiana beat reporter for The Bloomington Herald-Times. You can follow him on X @michaelniziolek and read all his coverage by clicking here.

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: Tracking where Indiana football's former coaches ended up for 2024

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