Ernest Duncan "Pokey" Allen Jr. (January 23, 1943 – December 30, 1996) was a gridiron football player and coach in the United States and Canada. He played college football for the Utah Utes before going on to play professionally for the BC Lions and the Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League (CFL) in the 1960s. Allen began a coaching career after retiring as a player in 1968. His early assistant and position coaching jobs included several NCAA football teams and the Los Angeles Express of the United States Football League. He was the head coach at Portland State University from 1986 to 1992 and at Boise State University from 1993 to 1996, compiling a career college football record of (). Allen led Portland State to consecutive appearances in the Division II championship game in 1987 and 1988 and guided Boise State to the Division I-AA title game in 1994. In 1994, Allen was diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare form of muscle cancer. He continued coaching until shortly before his death in 1996. Playing career Born in Superior, Montana, Allen attended Missoula County High School in Missoula and was a high school athlete in football, basketball, and track. Allen primarily played quarterback in high school. He accepted a scholarship to play college football at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City under head coach Ray Nagel. Utah was a member of the Skyline Conference, and in 1962 became a charter member of the WAC. As a freshman in 1961, Allen played as a quarterback and returned punts on the freshman team. By his sophomore year, Allen was primarily a defensive player, serving also as the third-string quarterback. As a quarterback and cornerback in his senior season in 1964, Allen and end/placekicker Roy Jefferson led the Utes to a record, including a victory over favored West Virginia in the Liberty Bowl, played indoors in Atlantic City; Allen was named the game's most valuable player. Allen played three seasons of professional football in the Canadian Football League with the BC Lions and Edmonton Eskimos, primarily as a defensive back. Through 38 total regular season games, he recorded eight interceptions and two fumble recoveries. While with the BC Lions from 1965 to 1967, Allen was also used sporadically as a punt returner, returning 79 punts for 412 yards. In 1967, Allen moved to the Eskimos, where he played only two games. He