Even when speaking to a FOX Sports affiliate, Tom Allen still wants to make you get off the sofa and run through a wall for him.

Allen was a finalist for the 2020 Paul ‘Bear’ Bryant Award, won this past year by Alabama head coach Nick Saban. The 6-2 Hoosiers had a tremendous season and Allen captured the attention of the nation with his program’s obvious love for their coach and each other.

His program’s mantra, in fact, is ‘Love Each Other’ and he explained that in a recent interview with FOX Sports Southwest when asked about being a finalist for the Paul ‘Bear’ Bryant Award.

“Impact, it’s about impacting lives. That includes your players, that’s your coaches. That’s why the LEO philosophy I brought to Indiana – had it my whole coaching career. It’s about relationships, it’s investing in the lives of the individuals that you’re with every single day,” Allen said.

“And it’s captured their hearts and minds and it is helping them to become the men that I believe they’re created to be.”

While he didn’t win the Bryant award, Allen was named the American Football Coaches’ Association National Coach of the Year.

As for 2020, Allen said it taught him “to adjust, adapt” in light of the many hurdles of the season. The Hoosiers may have lost in the Outback Bowl to Ole Miss but the Hoosiers head coach showcased his ability and charm throughout the season.

“What an amazing year in so many ways, so unprecedented with the challenges – all the different things,” Allen said.

“I think the thing we learned – we’re not promised tomorrow. Whether it is our health, whether it is our schedule  – everything was kind of written in pencil this year and you had to adapt.”