The Sherman also had rear engine, front drive.
There are *very* good reasons for that arrangement. Shifting gears and steering are purely mechanical, so the less distance between the driver and the transmission/final drive/brakes the better. Tanks of that era with rear sprockets and transmissions were notorious for how difficult it was to change gears and steer. Extending the main drive shaft forward, while it has consequences for the height of the tank, is mechanically far easier than extending the control linkages rearward.