The Quest for Indiana University Football Glory - Love Will Find a Way

EDITOR'S NOTE: The Quest for Indiana University Football Glory, written by Hall of Fame sports writer Pete DiPrimio, takes an unprecedented look at the Hoosier program thanks to exclusive access to practices, meetings, players, coaches and more. In this chapter, coach Tom Allen talks about why L-E-O (Love Each Other) is such a cornerstone of his program, and what that could mean for the future.

LOVE WILL FIND A WAY
Tom Allen arrived as defensive coordinator in 2016 with a top priority of relationship building. Do that and you have trust, loyalty and that intangible where everyone has each other's back, a collective will to not let an individual fail because of the team consequence.

"In my first meeting with our defense over a year ago, I wrote the letters L-E-O on the board," Allen says. "I asked them if they knew what that meant. They didn't. It stands for 'Love Each Other.' Didn't talk about football. Didn't talk about schemes. It was about changing the mindset and the culture of that side of the football.

"To me it was about getting our focus off ourselves, building trust, developing a culture that says it's not about 'me,' it's about 'we.' 'I don't truly care who gets the credit. I care that this team is successful.' That's the attitude that I wanted. That's what I wanted in our team.

"L-E-O is a big deal for us. And I tell our coaches that it starts with us and that helps it filter throughout the program."

That didn't change when Allen became head coach.

"It's L-E-O," he says. "It's all centered on the fact that it's not all about me. It's centered on the fact that I'm going to do things that allow the guys around me to have success. When we do well together, the individuals get recognized. I want that mindset. It's not normal. It's not what is often maybe advertised, but I believe that's the key."

So Allen mentions L-E-O at the end of press conferences, during team meetings, individual meetings and, perhaps, even while checking out at grocery stores. The man is obsessed and, in this change-the-culture environment, that's a very good thing.

"Having an environment where when you truly care about the people around you, you understand that my decisions affect everybody else," Allen says. "The highest level of accountability is to make decisions that affect you, understand it affects you, and I'm also man enough to stand up and hold you accountable as a teammate. That's what I want.

"That's hard to do with your peers. It's hard to be able to say to one of your friends, You shouldn't do this. It's hard to get on a guy for whatever, even on the practice field, when we're running, while we're conditioning, when you're off socially, whatever. But that's what I want.

"To me, that's a powerful thing that doesn't just happen. Everybody talks about family. Every program in America talks about that. A lot of times it's just that, it's talk. I want it lived out. I want it to be felt.

"When you're playing for the people around you, that's when it's special. It's very shallow when it's just about you.

"That's the culture I want. We're going to just keep creating it, keep working at it. And when you get it, you've got to work hard to keep it. We're not where we want to be yet, but that's what we want to continue to work on.

"Thank you. L-E-O."

Saying it is one thing. Coaching to it is another.

How does Allen do that?

What signs are there that he, like Bill Mallory a generation earlier, is the right man for this Cream 'n Crimson job?

That answer comes by hitting the road.

EDITOR'S NOTE: To purchase a copy of The Quest for Indiana University Football Glory, go to this link via Indiana University Press: https://bit.ly/2kvZXjH

The Quest for Indiana University Football Glory - Love Will Find a Way

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