Indiana Coach Tom Allen’s Winning Recipe Uses These 3 Thanksgiving Ingredients

As you carve the Thanksgiving turkey, slice the holiday ham, or jockey for position around the buttered rolls this week, you should also make plans to indulge in what Hoosier football has been serving under Indiana University head coach Tom Allen. This month marked their first top ten ranking in 50 years and, just last week, they were one touchdown away from feasting on an upset of college football powerhouse Ohio State. The more I learn about the leadership at IU, the more I realize the successful turnaround for the program has been marinating since 2016 when Coach Allen first set foot on the Bloomington campus as defensive coordinator. That’s when he introduced a recipe that calls for three ingredients, stirred by the letters: L-E-O.

“It stands for Love Each Other,” Allen told Forbes in an interview earlier this week. “In our first defensive meeting, I wrote the three letters (L-E-O) on the board. I told them what they stood for. Then I said ‘I’m sure you’re thinking what does this LEO have to do with football?’ Everything! It’s got everything to do with football and everything to do with what we’re going to create.”

Soon after, those three letters and that phrase became a catalyst for building trust and stronger relationships between players and coaches. The proof came during Week Four of that 2016 season when the Hoosiers defeated a ranked Michigan State Spartans team in overtime with nearly 45,000 fans in the stands watching a vastly improved defense. At season’s end, the program decided to make Allen the head coach, and the phrase “Love Each Other,” despite how out of place it initially seemed in such a rugged sport, quickly became the team mantra.

“When they know you love them more as a person than as a player, I think that’s when everything changes,” stressed Coach Allen. “I want these guys to know they are loved and valued—period. Because love is a choice and their value to this team and to me and to the coaches is non-negotiable.”

The program has won 22 games in four seasons including this year’s victories over Big Ten favorites Penn State, Michigan, and Michigan State. They’re tasting more success than they’ve had in half a century of Saturdays on the college football gridiron.

Coach Allen’s three ingredients in the LEO recipe are simple, yet intentional.

“The three pillars of this program are accountability, toughness, and love… and it’s all branded by L-E-O,” said Allen as excitement flowed through the inflections of his raspy voice. “You show them you love them because you hold them accountable and hold them to a higher standard in behavior. I love you too much to allow you not to do the right things.”

Just one conversation with Coach Allen sells you on the level of toughness, fire, and intensity that he brings with his leadership, but the lesson that resonates with me most is how much time he invests in that third ingredient: love.

“That’s the foundation of anything that has value—you have unconditional love at the core of any relationship, in any organization, any family,” explained Allen. “It took time to build trust—getting to know them. But I made it a point to bring every player in for a 1 on 1 conversation. And I would say, ‘Okay, give me the three most important things in your life.’ Then I would help them (with) a plan to help accomplish what they want to do.”

What an impactful reminder Hoosier football is for us all as we spend time with our family, loved ones, and the things most important to us. It’s not about how many different dishes we can make for the feast, or who bakes the best sweet potato casserole (though Aunt Patty wins)—it’s about showing a group of people who need to be heading in the same direction, that they are better when they love each other and are willing to prove it. There’s no doubt as IU prepares for this week’s game against Maryland that this LEO message will be spoken more fluently than the playbook.

“I believe my purpose is to impact lives and make a difference in a young man’s life now and for eternity… Anybody can win and lose football games. They can learn how to play football from anybody, but to learn their purpose in life and figure that out and have value going forward, that’s a game-changer.”

As you head towards Thanksgiving—whether it’ll be a small grouping or a Zoom from kitchen to kitchen, remember to stir in Indiana football’s three ingredients and have an extra serving of L-E-O