Michigan State University Athletics
Allen Named Director of Football Operations
6/18/2008 12:00:00 AM | Football
June 18, 2008
EAST LANSING, Mich. - Tim Allen, who spent 19 seasons on Glen Mason's coaching staff at Kansas (1988-96) and Minnesota (1997-2006), has been named director of football operations at Michigan State, according to an announcement made by second-year Spartan head coach Mark Dantonio. Allen, who assumed his duties June 13, replaces Mike Vollmar, who resigned May 21 to become associate athletics director for football at Alabama.
The 49-year-old Allen comes to Michigan State following 10 years at Minnesota where he served as assistant athletics director for football operations. During his tenure, the Golden Gophers made seven postseason bowl appearances, including five straight trips from 2002-06, and finished ranked among the nation's Top 25 on two occasions (1999: ESPN/USA TODAY No. 17 and Associated Press No. 18; 2003: No. 17 ESPN/USA TODAY and AP No. 20). From 1999-2005, Minnesota averaged better than seven wins per season (50 total).
At Minnesota, his duties included coordinating team travel, bowl game preparations, future scheduling and serving as a liaison between Gopher football and National Football League scouts. Allen also served as the liaison to all university administrative and support areas. In addition, he worked closely with the football booster groups, including the Goal Line Club and Touchdown Club.
Allen previously spent 11 seasons at Kansas, first as a defensive graduate assistant in 1986 before being promoted to administrative assistant for football operations in 1987. He was retained when Mason became the Jayhawks' head coach in 1988. During his stint in Lawrence, Allen was part of one of college football's most dramatic turnarounds as Kansas recorded a pair of Aloha Bowl victories (1992 over BYU and 1995 over UCLA) and two Top 25 finishes (1992: AP No. 22 and United Press International No. 23; 1995: No. 9 AP and No. 10 UPI).
While at Kansas, he served as the academic liaison for football and organized the on-campus recruiting efforts in addition to his other football operations duties.
"Tim Allen brings a wealth of experience to the position, with 20 years in the Big Ten and Big 12 under his belt," Coach Dantonio said. "He spent 10 years with Glen Mason at Minnesota, so he's quite familiar with this league. I also had the pleasure of working alongside Tim for four years at Kansas in the early 1990s. He impressed me with his work ethic and attention to detail.
"We're very excited to welcome Tim and his family to the MSU community."
From 1982-85, he worked as an assistant football coach (wide receivers, 1982-83; defensive backs/special teams coordinator, 1984-85) and admissions counselor at his alma mater, Bethel College in North Newton, Kansas. In October 2003, Allen and members of the 1984 Threshers' football team that posted an undefeated regular-season record (9-0) en route to winning the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference (KCAC) championship and finishing second in the NAIA Division II final rankings were inducted into the Bethel College Athletic Hall of Fame.
A native of Seneca, Kansas, Allen earned two letters as a wide receiver and was elected team captain as a senior at Bethel College. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in health, physical education and recreation from Bethel College in 1986.
Allen and his wife Rochelle have four children: Brett, Brianna, Brooke and Brandon.
