When Bobby Allen accepted the head coaching position for the Hamilton Southeastern High School boys basketball team, it wasn’t just a career move but a homecoming. A longtime Fishers resident and seasoned coach, Allen steps into the role with a deep sense of purpose, community pride and a drive to elevate the program both on and off the court.
Allen officially takes the reins full-time in June, following the conclusion of his final semester teaching English at Guerin Catholic High School. But even before the ink dried on his new contract, Allen laid the foundation for his future at HSE.
“I’ve actually started working out with the players and meeting with the team,” he says. “There’s already a real sense of connection forming. It feels like the start of something special.”
Allen brings more than two decades of coaching experience, a career that started after he graduated from Cathedral High School in 1999. He was an assistant at Cathedral for five years before becoming the head coach at Knightstown High School from 2010 to 2016. After stints at Lawrence Central and Cathedral again as an assistant, he spent the last seven seasons leading the program at Guerin Catholic, where he built a competitive team and a culture rooted in family and tradition.
“At Guerin, we worked really hard to create a sense of belonging, a second family,” Allen says. “We’ve had former players come back to support the team or just to be around the program. That’s the kind of culture I want to bring to HSE.”
For Allen, the move to Hamilton Southeastern is both professional and personal. His son, Benson, will be a freshman at HSE next year, and his younger son, Everett, will be a sixth grader in the district. Since the Allen family lives in Fishers, the opportunity felt tailor-made for them.
“Everything just lined up,” he says. “From the competitive level of play to the location, to the chance for our family to be even more connected to the community—it just made sense.”
Allen says that stepping into a program at a school the size and caliber of HSE comes with high expectations. He says the school regularly competes against the state’s top talent, a challenge he embraces.
“I’m excited to coach at a school where basketball matters, the stakes are high and the community is engaged,” he says. “We’re going to work tirelessly to put a great product on the floor and be a program that reflects the values of the school and the families here.”
Allen focuses on competition and development, but his coaching philosophy extends beyond wins and losses. He strongly emphasizes building relationships and supporting student-athletes holistically.
“We want to be a part of the youth programs, be visible in the community and create a sense of continuity so that when you grow up in this area, HSE basketball is just a natural part of your experience,” he says. “It should feel like a second family.”
Family is a recurring theme in Allen’s story, reflected in how he runs his programs and the support he has received throughout his career. His wife, Mollie, has been a constant partner, working night shifts as a nurse for 15 years to help keep the household running during Allen’s demanding coaching schedules.
“When I first started at Knightstown, Benson was just born, and I was driving 40 minutes each way to get there,” Allen says. “Mollie would be heading to work as I got home, and we had to lean on family and friends to help with the boys. It was a team effort.”
Over time, the Allen family has become part of the programs Bobby has led. At Guerin Catholic, they were embraced by the school and its community, attending games and participating in events. That tradition continues at HSE. Just weeks into the job, the Allen family joined him on a school tour and participated in the community’s “Meet the Coach” night. The community’s support and involvement have been instrumental in Allen’s coaching journey, and he looks forward to continuing this partnership at HSE.
“They’ve been with me every step of the way,” he says. “And it means everything to have their support as we start this new chapter.”
Despite the excitement about what lies ahead, Allen admitted that leaving Guerin Catholic was difficult.
“It was one of the hardest decisions of my life,” he says. “I’ve built deep friendships there. The support from the administration, families and kids was incredible. But I believe that God has a plan. Maybe everything I experienced there was preparing me for this opportunity.”
With a fresh start and a familiar community behind him, Allen is ready to lead HSE basketball into a new era.
“We want to create something lasting that kids are proud to be part of and that they want to return to years later,” he says. “That’s what makes a program great. And that’s what we’re going to build.”
