Blake Allen - Baseball Coach - Indiana University Athletics

Blake Allen

Title:
Assistant Coach/Infield
Email:
alleblak@iu.edu
Phone:
(812) 855-9155

A coach of over 20 years and a veteran leader with Midwest ties, former DePauw head coach Blake Allen was added to the Indiana Baseball staff as the program’s third assistant coach for the 2025 season. He will wear the number four on his jersey.

Allen, who worked with head coach Jeff Mercer during their overlapping stints at Western Kentucky, will coordinate team practice, help coach team defense, work with infielders and hitters and will man the third base box on gamedays. He brings along 20+ years of coaching experience as an assistant and head coach, highlighted by five years working at national powerhouse Vanderbilt.

In his most recent stop, Allen served as the head coach at DePauw for the past eight seasons. His wife, Cristin, worked simultaneously at DePauw as the head women’s soccer coach. The Tigers finished 23-17 in 2024, the best mark of a team during his tenure. DePauw went 12-4 in the North Coast Athletic Conference.

At DePauw, Allen oversaw the development of Grady Johnson as one of the league’s most prolific hitters in 2024. The freshman hit .370 on the season, collecting 61 hits over 165 at-bats in his freshman season. On the mound, Michael Vallone finished off his senior season with a 2.95 earned run average in 58.0 innings pitched. He worked a 7-1 record with a WHIP of 0.98. Vallone was named a Division Three All-American.

Prior to his time at DePauw, Allen worked as an assistant coach at Vanderbilt across two different stints. He worked with Tim Corbin from 2004-08 and then again from 2015-16 in Nashville. He was part of the staff that won the 2007 SEC Regular Season and Tournament titles.

In his initial tenure with the Commodores, Allen worked with hitters and catchers and assisted with strength and conditioning. His first four seasons saw him coach 38 players that signed professional contacts. Two of his catchers (Brian Hernandez – 2006, Shea Robin – 2008) were taken in the top-20 rounds of the MLB Draft.

The connection between Allen and Mercer dates back to their days together at Western Kentucky. Mercer, a volunteer assistant from 2012-13, worked with Allen who was a full-time assistant between 2009 and 2015 with the Hilltoppers. Allen worked in a variety of roles including time spent as the hitting, pitching and catching coach.

During Allen’s time in Bowling Green, Western Kentucky was ranked in the top-25 on three occasions and won one Sun Belt Conference title and made the NCAA Tournament in 2009. That 2009 team finished as one of the best offensive lineups in program history. On the season, the Hilltoppers smashed 88 home runs, 124 doubles and hit .330.

In five seasons working with the Western Kentucky hitters, its offense hit over .300 on two occasions and set then-program records in runs (538) and RBIs (490). He worked with outfielder Kes Carter who went on to become the 56th overall pick in the 2011 MLB Draft, the highest picked player in program history.

Allen began his playing days at DePauw but finished his collegiate career at Blackburn college, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in 2001. He went on to earn his Master of Science from Indiana State in 2003. In addition to baseball, Allen has previous experience working with football programs and strength staffs. He has two daughters – Keelyn and Quinley Jane – and a son, Rooney. His family resides in Plainfield.