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Tom Allen contract: How much Clemson football, Dabo Swinney's defensive coordinator will make
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- Tom Allen contract: How much Clemson football, Dabo Swinney's defensive coordinator will make
CLEMSON — Tom Allen was officially named Clemson football 's defensive coordinator on Tuesday.
Clemson University's Board of Trustees compensation committee unanimously approved Allen's three-year deal worth $6 million. He also received a signing bonus of $903,150 "plus a gross up" that can increase to $1.75 million to cover his buyout from Penn State .
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Allen, 54, replaces Wes Goodwin , who was fired after three seasons as Clemson's defensive coordinator. Allen served as Penn State's defensive coordinator in 2024, and the unit finished in the top 10 in FBS in total defense and scoring defense. He was in Year 1 of his three-year contract with the Nittany Lions.
Here are Allen's contract details with Clemson .
Tom Allen contract: salary, details for Clemson football defensive coordinator
Allen agreed to a three-year deal worth $6 million with Clemson. He will make $1.9 million in 2025, $2 million in 2026 and $2.1 million in 2027. His new contract exceeds his deal at Penn State, where he made $1.5 million last season and was due $1.6 million in 2025 and $1.7 million in 2026, according to the Centre (Pa.) Daily Times.
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Allen's $1.9 million salary in 2025 would have tied him for 10th in assistant coach pay in FBS in 2024, according to the USA TODAY database. His contract also exceeds the salary paid Goodwin, who made $1.4 million last season and would have made $1.5 million in 2025 and $1.6 million in 2026. Since Clemson terminated Goodwin's contract early without cause , he is owed the remainder of his contract ($3.1 million), but his buyout can be reduced if he finds another job.
If Allen's contract is terminated without cause by Clemson, he would be owed 100% of his contract. However, his buyout can be reduced if he finds another job, triggering mitigation.
If Allen isn't fired and takes a job to be a college head coach or any NFL coaching position, he would owe Clemson nothing. If he takes any other job, he would owe Clemson 25% of his remaining salary, though the university has the discretion to waive that.
MORE: What to know about Tom Allen, Clemson football's new defensive coordinator under Dabo Swinney
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How much Tom Allen can receive in bonuses?
Allen can receive either $35,000 if Clemson makes the ACC championship or $70,000 if Clemson wins the conference title.
Depending on how Clemson's season ends, Allen can make one of the following during each season with the Tigers: $17,500 if Clemson make a bowl game with eight or more regular-season wins; $35,000 if Clemson wins a bowl game with eight or more regular-season wins; $52,500 if Clemson makes the first round of the CFP; $70,000 if Clemson makes CFP quarterfinals; $87,500 if Clemson makes CFP semifinals; $105,000 if Clemson makes the national championship; or $140,000 if Clemson wins the national championship.
Allen can receive $50,000 if Clemson has a top 10 total relative defense or $100,000 if Clemson has a top 5 total relative defense. He can also earn $50,000 if the Tigers have a top 10 total defense or $100,000 if they have a top 5 total defense. These stats will be reflected by Sports Source Analytics on the Monday following the ACC championship game.
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How Tom Allen's contract compares to Clemson football's assistants
Allen is Clemson's highest-paid assistant, exceeding offensive coordinator Garrett Riley , who made $1.75 million last season.
Here's how much Clemson's primary assistants and strength coach earned last season:
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Garrett Riley, offensive coordinator, $1.75 million
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Nick Eason, defensive tackles, $1.1 million
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Matt Luke, offensive line, $975,000
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Chris Rumph, defensive ends, $950,000
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Mickey Conn, safeties, $900,000
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Mike Reed, cornerbacks, $900,000
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Joey Batson, strength, $650,000
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Kyle Richardson, tight ends, $600,000
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Tyler Grisham, wide receivers, $550,000
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C.J. Spiller , running backs, $550,000
Derrian Carter covers Clemson athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email him at dcarter@gannett.com and follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @DerrianCarter00
This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Tom Allen contract: How much Clemson defensive coordinator will make
