Coach Rodney Allison
Here is a profile of Coach Rodney Allison, assistant coach for defensive ends at Clemson University, who is expected to be named head football coach at UTC:
Rodney Allison recently completed his third year at Clemson after serving successful seasons at Auburn. The 45-year old completed his third year coaching the Clemson defensive ends. The 1999 season was his first year on defense, as he spent the first 20 years of his coaching career on the offensive side of the ball.
Allison's defensive ends have helped the Tigers record 85 sacks the last two years, the highest two-year total in school history. Nick Eason had a team-high tying seven sacks last year and was named the team's MVP on defense. Allison's players were a big reason Clemson ranked 18th in the nation in rushing defense Allison's defensive ends helped the Tigers to a second-place finish in the ACC standings and a berth in the 1999 Peach Bowl. The Tigers set a school record with an ACC best 47 sacks in 1999 and Allison's defensive ends had something to do with that. The pass rush was also a reason Clemson ranked 17th in the nation in pass efficiency defense.
At Auburn, Allison coached the Tiger running backs from 1993-96 under Terry Bowden. Prior to the 1996 Independence Bowl, Allison was named the team's offensive coordinator. He served in that capacity during the 1997 and part of the 1998 seasons.
In his first three seasons at Auburn, Allison coached three 1,000-yard rushers. In two of those seasons Auburn running backs led the SEC in rushing. James Bostic accomplished the feat in 1993, while Stephen Davis did it in 1994.
Auburn posted a 20-1-1 record in Allison's first two years with the program and won 45 games in the 1993-98 era. The 1993 team was a perfect 11-0 and ranked fourth in the final AP poll. Auburn won bowl games and ranked in the final top-25 of the AP poll four times between 1993-98.
Allison came to Auburn from Southern Mississippi where he worked in various roles throughout five years with the Golden Eagle program. He coached the running backs during the 1988-89 campaigns and the quarterbacks in 1990-92. Allison took on the role of offensive coordinator for Southern Miss in 1991.
During his tenure at USM, Allison coached Brett Favre. Favre later went on to become the 1995 NFL MVP with the Green Bay Packers, including a Super Bowl Championship in 1996.
Allison's previous coaching experience came at Duke (1984-86) and Texas Tech (1979-83), his alma mater. He began his coaching career just two years out of college on Steve Sloan's staff at Texas Tech. It was on Sloan's staff at Duke that he worked with current Clemson coach Tommy Bowden. It was in 1984, as a member of Duke's staff, that Bowden and Allison first got a taste of football in Clemson's Death Valley.
Initially at Texas Tech, Allison was a graduate assistant coach in 1979 before being promoted to running backs coach in 1980. As a quarterback for the Red Raiders, Allison enjoyed a successful career that included three bowl games. In 1976, Allison passed for 1458 yards and rushed for 706, one of the top total offense figures in the nation. The Red Raiders, who had Steve Sloan as the Head Coach and Bill Parcels as defensive coordinator, finished with a 10-2 mark that season. In 1977, Allison was nominated for the Heisman trophy. After earning his degree in 1978, he played one year with the Toronto Argonauts of the CFL.
Allison is married to the former Leigh Harris and the couple has two children (Sloan, 12 and Ashleigh Delle, 10).
ALLISON FACTS
Coaching Experience: Graduate assistant coach at Texas Tech (1979)...running backs coach at Texas Tech (1980-83)...running backs coach at Duke (1984-86)...running backs coach at Southern Mississippi (1988-89)...quarterbacks coach at Southern Mississippi (1990-92)...offensive coordinator at Southern Mississippi (1991-92)...running backs coach at Auburn 1993-97...offensive coordinator/running backs coach at Auburn 1998...defensive ends coach at Clemson (1999-Present).
Playing Experience: College - Lettered three years as a quarterback at Texas Tech (1974-77)...Professional - Toronto Argonauts of the CFL (1978).
Education: Earned a BA degree in Physical Education in 1978 from Texas Tech.
Personal Data: Born on Jan. 29, 1956. Married to the former Leigh Harris of Durham, NC...the couple has two children - Sloan (12) and Ashleigh Delle (10).
Bowl Participation: As a player - 1974 Peach Bowl...1976 Bluebonnet Bowl...1977 Tangarine Bowl...As a coach - 1988 Independence Bowl...1990 All-American Bowl...1996 Outback Bowl...1996 Independence Bowl...1998 Peach Bowl..1999 Peach Bowl...2001 Gator Bowl...2001 Humanitarian Bowl