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#IUChats with Coach Allen

Chat with IU Football's head coach, Tom Allen.

Hoosier Football Coach Tom Allen took some time away from his busy schedule to answer a few “virtual” interview questions on Twitter as he prepared to kick off the 2017–2018 season. He talks team workouts, game-day traditions, favorite pizza, and more with us.

Enjoy getting to know Coach Allen, and make sure to follow @IUAA on Twitter for more #IUChats interviews!

@IUAA: Hi @CoachAllenIU—thanks for taking the time to chat with us today! We know you’re busy gearing up for the 2017 @HoosierFootball season.

@CoachAllenIU: Thanks for having me. Happy to be joining you guys!

@IUAA: We’ll get started with a few questions about football…

@CoachAllenIU: Excellent. Fire away!

@IUAA: We saw a variety of workouts in the #HoosierGrown video. What is a general summer training schedule for @HoosierFootball?

@CoachAllenIU: Our players work out four days a week: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday with a combination of lifting, running, and skill development.

@IUAA: And how do the workouts change once the season starts?

@CoachAllenIU: We modify our schedule during the season. We only lift twice a week, on Sunday and Tuesday. We do no additional running during those workouts.

@IUAA: The theme for this @HoosierFootball season is #BreakThrough—can you describe how that term is driving the team’s focus?

@CoachAllenIU: The concept of #BreakThrough is constantly reinforced to our players. We are challenging them to create daily habits to help us achieve #BreakThrough during the 2017 season. It affects the way we lift, run, and watch film.

@IUAA: And those are definitely habits they can use both on/off the field, and in their life beyond IU! With the 1st game of the season fast approaching, what #iufb tradition are you looking forward to the most as head coach?

@CoachAllenIU: We stay at FourWinds Resort the night before games and enjoy our time together as a team in that setting!

@IUAA: Speaking of traditions, do you have any traditions that you have as a coach, or plan to introduce to the team this year?

@CoachAllenIU: We’re creating a tunnel for our players to enter the field prior to kickoff. This will increase the level of intensity to our entrance.

@IUAA: Very cool! We’ll be looking forward to the new @HoosierFootball entrance! How do you like to celebrate a big win?

@CoachAllenIU: Every win is BIG. But I enjoy being with my family and eating pizza after a win.

@IUAA: So that makes this an appropriate place for a question I had for later—favorite pizza place in Bloomington & what are you ordering?

@CoachAllenIU: Mother Bear’s pepperoni. You can’t beat that!

@IUAA: No, you can’t! Can you tweet pictures of your 3 favorite things that you have in your office?

@CoachAllenIU: My memorable day at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, our college coaching journey, and it’s always great to beat Purdue!

@IUAA: That’s some awesome office decor! So, we know your college team is @HoosierFootball, but what NFL team are you rooting for on Sundays?

@CoachAllenIU: Growing up, I was a huge Dallas Cowboys fan. But then the Colts came to Indiana, and I became a Colts fan.

@IUAA: Let’s talk about the fans—with 6 home games this season, what are some tailgate must-haves that Hoosiers should have on game day?

@CoachAllenIU: A full cooler of ice-cold Mountain Dew is my favorite drink, and you must have a grill for juicy medium-rare hamburgers with melted cheese. Chips and peanut M&Ms are a must. And then, make sure the tailgate is concluded with a walk into Memorial Stadium.

@IUAA: Peanut M&Ms are a fav of mine & easy to eat during a game! Let’s take a break from football & do a rapid round of random questions…Are you an early riser or night owl?

@CoachAllenIU: Early riser. Get up early every morning and run while it is still cool out.

@IUAA: Smart planning, especially with the Indiana heat! Scenario: You have to eat all your meals for one day at restaurants in Btown, where are you eating?

@CoachAllenIU: That’s a tough one! I would say Uptown Cafe. Great breakfast and all of the above! My favorite place for dinner is Malibu Grill.

@IUAA: That is tough, so many great places to eat in town! Other than @OurIndiana athletic facilities, what’s your favorite spot on campus?

@CoachAllenIU: The student union. That whole area. I like the architecture and there is a lot of history there. It’s a beautiful spot at IU Bloomington!

@IUAA: Definitely agree, it’s a beautiful area. Okay, final question—when you have a chance to take a vacation, where’s your favorite place to go?

@CoachAllenIU: Florida. Anywhere on the beach!

@IUAA: No surprises there! @CoachAllenIU, thank you so much for your time! Best of luck to you & the Hoosier Football team this season! Go IU!

@CoachAllenIU: Thanks again for having me. I really enjoyed this! #LEO

Written By

Lacy Nowling Whitaker

Lacy, a Bloomington native, earned two degrees from IU Bloomington (BA'08, MA'14) and is the Director of Content with the IU Alumni Association.

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