Brady Cook praises Bush Hamdan
New technology is great until it stops working as expected, and that’s the approach the University of Kentucky’s football program is taking before college football gets a major technology upgrade for the 2024 season.
The complicated espionage scandal surrounding Michigan State’s Connor Stallions has finally prompted college football executives to adopt wireless technology in their helmets. For years, NFL offensive coordinators called plays by speaking directly to quarterbacks through headsets, while college teams relied on hand signals to call plays on the field.
Offensive coordinator Bush Hamdan thinks the added technology could be a game-changer for the Cats as they look to play faster with pro-style tactics this fall, but he won’t completely abandon the hand signal system they’ve used for years.
“I think that’s going to be crucial,” Hamdan told On3’s Andy Staples. “Honestly, the question for us now is, does it come in and out during the game? You know, for us, it’s a big advantage to be able to make the play call directly to the quarterback, to be able to tell them the one or two things that we want them to focus on on that play. But at the same time, if it does come into play during the game, they’re still focused, they still know the signals, they still have the ability to operate it.”
There’s one big difference between college and the NFL: Outside of a few NFL stadiums, college football teams are much louder on the road, and even if the helmet radio worked, there’s no guarantee Brock Vandagriff would be able to hear Bush Hamdan’s play calls.
“Everything you’re talking about, it’s just a wait and see process. Like everything in college football over the last five to 10 years, we’ll have to adjust and adapt. The big thing for us is every third or fourth practice, we’ll act like we don’t have anything and be ready to go, and I think that’s key,” he said. “But from an operations standpoint, as you all know, everything’s fine in the spring, but when the live ammunition starts firing, we’ve got to be ready to go.”
That last element is often overlooked. This year, iPad technology will be used on the sidelines to allow coaches to show players video of what’s happening on the field. It could be game-changing, but technology is only as good as how you use it. That’s Hamdan’s focus this offseason. He’ll have to be able to properly implement how Kentucky uses the iPads on the sidelines while coaching from the press box.
“The key is how to get the information and communicate it to the players and communicate it well from staff to staff to players in the box and players on the field. That’s going to be a challenge,” Hamdan said.
As the Kentucky Wildcats implement new technology this fall, clear and concise communication will be key to the success of the State offense.
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