Tom Allen wore a weary smile in Penn State's locker room after the Orange Bowl as he surveyed a silent, still group of players hurting over the Nittany Lions' 27-24 loss to Notre Dame. Penn State's defensive coordinator, at least for that moment, tried to find context.

Allen, he said, wasn’t looking for a job. He was laser-focused on Penn State’s CFP semifinal game against Notre Dame at the Orange Bowl. The Nittany Lions made the field as an at-large team (No. 6 seed) and won games against SMU and Boise State.

Penn State has officially lost its defensive coordinator. Tom Allen, after one just season with the Nittany Lions, was formally named Clemson’s new defensive coordinator on Tuesday afternoon.

CLEMSON, S.C. — Head Coach Dabo Swinney and Clemson Football announced today that Clemson has hired Tom Allen as Defensive Coordinator. The hire was finalized Tuesday by the Clemson University Board of Trustees Compensation Committee.

Tom Allen served as Penn State's defensive coordinator for one year. He will reportedly be the fourth defensive coordinator hired under Dabo Swinney.

Tom Allen wasn't looking for a new job after Penn State finished its run to the College Football Playoff semifinals, but the right job found him anyway. Allen netted a $300,000 raise in trading Penn State for Clemson but,

Tom Allen became Dabo Swinney's fourth defensive coordinator hire. Allen explained Wednesday why he left Penn State after one season.

"That's right smack in the middle of the school year," Allen went on to explain to the Clemson press. "So we've had to pull our kids out... Well, who had to do all that? It wasn't me. I was off recruiting.