New ops building 'the best' newest coach has been around
SOUTH CAROLINA GAMECOCKS FOOTBALL
The newest and biggest piece of the Gamecock football program was unveiled Sunday night with the team revealing the new operations building after weeks of waiting.
It’s the latest piece of a larger facilities upgrade at South Carolina and is already creating a lasting impression for one of the newest coaching additions.
“It’s the best I’ve been around by far,” new running backs coach Thomas Brown said. “Obviously I left a place where we just built a new indoor which is a nice facility but that one doesn’t compare to anything I‘ve been around. It’s phenomenal.”
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The facility was finished earlier this month and the players officially moved into the new building as the spring semester started Monday.
Coaches moved in Jan. 7 along with the team’s support staff.
The building will house the entire football program and will be complete with the team’s locker room, training area as well as the team’s meeting rooms, cafeteria and a few unique add-ons.
There is also a game room, players’ lounge to spend some down time before and after practice with a barbershop and recording studio.
The team’s facility will be the first time that the entire program will be housed under one roof whereas in the past the team’s locker room was in Williams-Brice and they had to walk across the street to go to practice.
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“Some things needed to improve, some things needed to change,” athletics director Ray Tanner said. “We needed to build a building. We needed to create a different opportunity for student-athletes who were going to play football here. We made a lot of progress.”
Now, other than game days, the team will have its day-to-day operations in the operations building.
It is also the latest in a line of recent facility upgrades.
The Gamecocks already opened up a new Jerri and Steve Spurrier indoor facility and remodeled some of the other areas around the stadium, including the game day recruiting areas.
The basketball teams also had their spaces renovated along with beach volleyball getting a new locker room as well. Tanner said upgrading facilities are always on his mind, and he hasn’t ruled out more upgrades in the near future.
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“I don’t think your work is ever done. I figured that out in my seven years; it’s ever changing and there are things moving forward that you need to do. We made a lot of progress in football,” Tanner said. “We’re putting sports in a position to be successful. We play in a difficult league but the opportunities exist for success.”
