Eddie Allen is in his second season with Rutgers football in 2023. Allen, who was also on staff in Piscataway under head coach Greg Schiano from 2005-07, returned to the Scarlet Knights after most recently serving as the special teams coordinator at UConn from 2018-21.
In 2022, the Scarlet Knights held opponents to minus 11 punt return yards, best in the nation, with just one positive return against in 75 attempts. Adam Korsak won the Ray Guy Award as the top punter in the nation.
In his first season with the Huskies in 2018, Luke Magliozzi set the UConn single-season punting record with an average of 42.94 yards per attempt. Magliozzi had 12 punts of over 50 yards and pinned 19 kicks inside the 20.
Prior to his stint in East Hartford, Allen served as the special teams coordinator at Delaware from 2014-17. In his final season on staff, the Blue Hens tied for the top spot in the Colonial Athletic Association in net punting average with a mark of 38.8. During his time at Delaware, Allen coached two-time All-CAA punter Eric Enderson, who earned third team All-America status during the 2014 season. Additionally, Allen coached punter Nick Pritchard to a spot on the All-CAA Third Team during the 2017 season.
During his first two seasons at Delaware, Allen was also responsible for coaching the tight ends and helped develop All-American Nick Boyle at that position. Boyle was selected by the Baltimore Ravens in the fifth round of the 2015 NFL Draft.
Allen enjoyed great success during a six-year stint at the University of Rhode Island from 2008-13. During his tenure as a member of former head coach Joe Trainer’s staff, he helped the Rams lead the CAA in fewest blocked kicks allowed and rank No. 2 in kickoff return average (22.3) during the 2013 campaign. Rhode Island also ranked No. 3 in the CAA in kickoff returns (20.9) and allowed the second fewest return yards in the league during the 2012 season.
In 2011, Rhode Island averaged 21.5 yards per kick return while allowing an average of just 18.9 yards per return. In 2010, under the direction of Allen, URI ranked in the CAA’s top five in four special teams categories and held the league’s top kickoff return average (23.8). Among the highlights was a blocked punt that was returned for the game-winning score over 2009 defending champion Villanova. In 2009, Rhode Island punter Tim Edger led the CAA in punting with a 41.5-yard average, and in 2008, the Rams blocked nine kicks on the season.
Prior to arriving at Rhode Island, Allen spent three seasons as a member of Schiano’s coaching staff at Rutgers. He joined the Scarlet Knights’ football program in 2005 as a player development assistant and worked as a graduate assistant in 2007.
Allen began his collegiate coaching career as the offensive graduate assistant and video coordinator at Hofstra University in 2003. The following season, Allen moved on to Fort Scott Community College in Fort Scott, Kansas, where he served as wide receivers coach.
A native of Somerville, Allen graduated with a bachelor’s degree from the University of New Haven in 2003. He was a four-year letterwinner at quarterback for the Chargers.
He and his wife, Kristin, have four children, Austin, Brooklyn, Jackson and Makayla.
