Notre Dame, IN – September 5, 2015 – Notre Dame Stadium: The University of Texas Longhorns during a regular season game
(Photo by Eric Lars Bakke / ESPN Images)
FRISCO, Texas – Tom Herman’s first Big 12 Media Days press conference as the head coach at Texas covered everything from rebranding the program to the current quarterback situation. He also took time to address the team’s aggressive push to upgrade facilities, which includes some exciting technology.
“Our facility improvements have been very much noted, and that’s due in large part to the recognition of President (Greg) Fenves and (athletic director) Mike Perrin that we needed to change,” Herman said. “We’ve done it faster than I’ve ever seen a facility get upgraded to this magnitude. So, it’s exciting, here in the next couple of weeks, we’ll be moving back in, and you won’t even be able to recognize the place.”
Herman and the Longhorns made headlines earlier this spring with the announcement of a new high-tech locker room, featuring a 43-inch television monitors and a ventilation system. According to Brian Davis of the Austin American-Statesman, the cost of the 126 new player lockers will be $1.1 million, which is a part of the football program’s $10 million facility upgrade this offseason. The lockers are expected to be ready when fall camp begins.
Junior punter Michael Dickson and junior offensive tackle Connor Williams told SportTechie that Herman looks at any new technologies that can improve the program and help with recruiting.
“He’s pretty into new designs and things that can help us,” Dickson said. “He knows he’s going to get the best out of his team, so he wants to give the best to his team.”
“Being a coach, you’re looking for the next new thing to attract recruits,” Williams said. “I remember visiting Ohio State, and they just put in a waterfall. You want to have the next cool thing and it helps with the recruiting process for sure.”
Besides recruiting, Texas has also used new technologies to increase player safety. The Longhorns are the first Power 5 program to fully implement the Riddell Insite Impact Response System into every helmet. Each helmet it fitted with a set of sensors to track the direction and force of hits for each player in real-time. Athletic trainers can then use handheld devices to gather information and alert players, if necessary.
“I used (the helmet) during spring practice,” Williams said. “(The athletic trainer) looks at the data all through practice and if there’s anything that shoots up, he will come and talk to you about it.”
