After a breakthrough season, Indiana head football coach Tom Allen will be searching once again for a new offensive coordinator. Kalen DeBoer will return to Fresno State and become the school’s new head football coach.
Indiana hired DeBoer away from Fresno State in January to become the offensive coordinator for the Hoosiers. He held the same position with the Bulldogs.
When he was hired at IU in January, DeBoer was open about the fact that he had aspirations to become a head coach. He has since repeated those sentiments.
IU has improved from No. 51 to No. 31 in total offense, and from No. 87 to No. 41 in scoring offense in just one season with DeBoer running the show.
The major improvements in Indiana’s offense led to the program’s first eight win season since 1993. The Hoosiers averaged 38.6 points in their eight wins despite dealing with almost weekly questions at the quarterback position due to various injuries sustained by starter Michael Penix.
DeBoer’s name had been floated as a potential candidate for multiple head coaching positions in recent weeks.
Hailing from South Dakota, DeBoer had similar success turning around offenses at Fresno State, Eastern Michigan, and Southern Illinois, and his track record as a head coach is even more impressive.
While Fresno State will be his first FBS head coaching job, it won’t be his first at the college level.
DeBoer posted a 67-3 record (.957) in five years as the head coach at his alma mater (Sioux Falls) while winning three national titles.
Indiana’s offense should be attractive to potential replacement candidates. The Hoosiers are slated to return their top three quarterbacks (Penix, Ramsey, Tuttle), top three running backs (Scott, James, Walker), top three receivers (Philyor, Hendershot, Fryfogle), and several experienced members of the offensive line including Caleb Jones, Matthew Bedford, possibly Coy Cronk if he redshirts, and Stanford graduate transfer Dylan Powell.
Tomorrow represents the start of college football’s early signing period for class of 2020 recruits. Indiana expects approximately ten offensive players to sign this week including four-star receiver Rashawn Williams. The Hoosiers are still trying to secure commitments from other offensive players as well.
UPDATES
- DeBoer was introduced in Fresno today as the next head coach of the Bulldogs.
- DeBoer has indicated that he would like to coach Indiana at the Gator Bowl:
DeBoer also told @BriABC30 that he wants to coach Indiana in the Gator Bowl on Jan. 2nd. Said it was a special team to be a part of. Will see over the next couple of days if that can work logistically. @ABC30 https://t.co/NT7qCwsljV
— Stephen Hicks (@StephenABC30) December 17, 2019
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