The year is 2019.
Indiana is coming off another disappointing season devoid of bowl eligibility. Offensive coordinator Mike DeBord, whose scheme and play calling tendencies drew the ire of the fanbase, is out.
Tom Allen is a man who trusts his connections. He likes hiring coaches he’s coached against, doing so on more than one occasion. When it came down to replacing DeBord, Allen had a few qualities in mind.
For one, head coaching experience. Or leadership at the very least. As a defensive guy, Allen gave free rein to his offensive coordinators to decide how they wanted to run that side of the ball.