John Allen

Former Central head football coach John Allen has been hired to take over the program at Powell (TN) High School. Allen, who resigned last November after three seasons with the Purple Pounders, takes over a Powell program that played for the Class 5A state championship in 2011 and reached the semifinals the following season.

Last year, in coach Tobi Kilgore's first season as head coach, and having moved up to 6A, Powell finished 5-5. Kilgore resigned after the season to take over at Karns High.

Allen, who has a 76-75 14-year career record including 8-22 in three years at Central, also has coached locally at Silverdale Baptist, Bradley Central and Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe.

"The program has a history of winning at Powell, so there's not a rebuilding job needing to be done like at other places I've coached," Allen said. "I've spent my career going to programs that needed to be rebuilt, so it will be nice going to a place with tradition and great facilities and everything needed to win right away."