Wilder names John Allen as assistant head coach/wide receivers coach
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – John Allen Jr. has been named by Tennessee Tech head football coach Bobby Wilder as his new assistant head coach and wide receivers coach. His experience includes a wide range of levels from the Football Bowl Subdivision, Football Championship Subdivision, NFL Europe and varied roles as a position coach, offensive coordinator and head coach.
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – John Allen Jr. has been named by Tennessee Tech head football coach Bobby Wilder as his new assistant head coach and wide receivers coach.
His experience includes a wide range of levels from the Football Bowl Subdivision, Football Championship Subdivision, NFL Europe and varied roles as a position coach, offensive coordinator and head coach.
"We are thrilled to have John Allen join our Tennessee Tech football family," said Wilder. "I had the pleasure of working with Coach Alllen at Old Dominion and watched him develop NFL-ready wide receivers. Our players will love his energy, enthusiasm and knowledge."
Allen said, "My family and I are excited about rejoining Coach Wilder in building a championship program at Tennessee Tech. I have great admiration for his philosophy of 'Aim High' as his success speaks for itself. Get ready, Cookeville!"
Allen, most recently, was the wide receivers coach at UConn during the 2022 campaign, helping guide the Huskies to an appearance in the 2022 Myrtle Beach Bowl. He spent 2020 and 2021 as the wide receivers coach at Louisiana Tech with a trip to the 2020 New Orleans Bowl, following a two-season stay at Old Dominion as the wide receivers coach and recruiting coordinator.
He spent three seasons at Delaware State, including two as the offensive coordinator while working with the quarterbacks.
From 2011 to March 2015, Allen was the head coach at Division II Lock Haven, his second stint at the school after a tenure from 1996 to 2002, where he was the wide receivers coach and special teams coordinator for three seasons, the defensive backs coach for a year, offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for three years and wide receivers coach for one season.
Before returning to Lock Haven, he spent three seasons as the coordinator of player personnel and development at Penn State from 2008 to 2011. While at Penn State, the Nittany Lions reached the Rose Bowl in 2009, the Capital One Bowl in 2010 and the 2011 Outback Bowl, winning in 2010.
He spent five years with NFL Europe, serving as the head coach of the Berlin Thunder in 2007, while he was the offensive coordinator with the Amsterdam Admirals from 2004 to early 2007, and was the wide receivers coach with Berlin in 2003. During that period, in October 2006 to February 2007, he was also quality control personnel for offense for the NFL's Cleveland Browns.
He won an NFL Europe championship in 2005 with the Admirals and returned to the World Bowl the following season.
Allen also spent a season in 2002 as the wide receivers coach at Bucknell.
During his coaching career, Allen has helped develop professional players Ruvell Martin, Travis Fulgham, Jonathan Duhart and Isaiah Harper.
Allen earned his degree in office systems management from James Madison in 1996.
Photo | UConn Athletics
