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USF Bulls draw big praise for hiring Tom Allen

 
For the last four seasons, Tom Allen - Ole Miss' linebackers/special teams coach - has worked under the guidance of grizzled Rebels defensive coordinator Dave Wommack. His base look: a 4-2-5 with assorted packages. [AP photo]
For the last four seasons, Tom Allen - Ole Miss' linebackers/special teams coach - has worked under the guidance of grizzled Rebels defensive coordinator Dave Wommack. His base look: a 4-2-5 with assorted packages. [AP photo]
Published Dec. 17, 2014

TAMPA

Willie Taggart's widely hailed home-run hire remained on an upward trajectory Tuesday, gaining more loft by the hour. Locally, former pupils and peers of Tom Allen continued trumpeting the integrity and acumen of USF's newest defensive coordinator.

"USF Defense will be strong this year!" tweeted Jesuit offensive coordinator Joe Gerena, Armwood's quarterback when Allen ran the Hawks defense for two seasons (1995-96). "Great Coach even Greater Man!"

Similar sentiments have been echoed since Allen's hiring — expected to be formally announced today — initially was reported Monday morning.

If Taggart was trying to carve a recruiting inroad by luring Allen from Ole Miss, he might have forged a freeway. No fewer than six Hillsborough County head coaches either played for, worked for or coached against Allen during his five seasons as an area prep coach two decades ago.

Speak to any of them and you're likely to get some variation of the same message: The man who shuns cursing embraces creativity.

While the former trait likely will touch the hearts of most parents, it's the latter that will challenge the heads of most foes. Allen is perceived as an out-of-the-park hire, in part, because of his out-of-the-box thinking.

"I think he's intelligent," said Armwood coach Sean Callahan, who let Allen run his defense in 1995 and '96, the latter year ending with the first playoff berth in Hawks history. "And he definitely can scheme things up."

For the past four seasons, Allen — Ole Miss' linebackers/special teams coach — has worked under the guidance of grizzled Rebels defensive coordinator Dave Wommack. His base look: a 4-2-5 with assorted packages.

In this scheme, standup ends often are employed as a third linebacker, while the popular "hybrid" or "husky" nickelback is used to assist either with run support or pass coverage. The latest results are undeniable: Ole Miss possesses the nation's best scoring defense (13.8 ppg) and allowed only eight touchdown passes — second-fewest in the country — in the regular season.

The Rebels held Alabama to its second-fewest points (17) while handing the Tide its only defeat of the regular season. Mississippi State (17), Boise State (13), Memphis (three) and Tennessee (three) also were held to season lows against Ole Miss.

If there's one thing Allen will inherit at USF, it's a corps of capable athletes in the defensive backfield. From Jamie Byrd to Jimmy Bayes, Nigel Harris to Nate Godwin to Devin Abraham, the Bulls should be rife with players able to cover and/or converge in a 4-2-5 look.

In a conference teeming with spread offenses, such versatility will be a prerequisite. So will a guy who can cleverly maneuver such players around the figurative chess board.

Allen takes over a unit that often seemed feeble against the run and out of sorts against across-the-middle passes in its 3-4 base. USF ended 2014 ranked 84th nationally in rush defense (182.9 ypg) and 106th in pass-efficiency defense (141.27).

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A significant improvement in those numbers, and the home-run hire might be upgraded to grand slam.

FINAL STAMPEDE: Thirty-one USF student-athletes, including 13 football players, received diplomas last weekend at the school's fall commencement ceremonies. Seven of the 31 graduated with honors, and nearly half (14) finished with a GPA of 3.0 or higher, according to the school.

Among the football graduates was former RB Michael Pierre, forced to give up the game last summer due to neck and spinal cord injuries. Pierre remained on scholarship and earned a degree in criminology.

Two others, OL Brynjar Gudmundsson and Thor Jozwiak, have at least one season of eligibility remaining. Jozwiak likely will have two when he appeals to the NCAA for a medical-hardship waiver to restore the season he missed (2013) due to an irregular heartbeat.

ODDS AND ENDS: Portugal native Laura Ferreira, who sparkled (career-high 16 points, seven rebounds, two blocks, two steals) in Sunday's 67-47 romp of College of Charleston, was named the American Athletic Conference freshman of the week for women's basketball on Monday. … Former Bulls volleyball standout Erin Fairs, recently granted her release from the program, reportedly will transfer to Louisville. If true, she'll be eligible for the Cardinals immediately.

Contact Joey Knight at jknight@tampabay.com. Follow @TBTimes_Bulls.