Aggie grads turning content creation into coaching innovation
The future of Texas A&M basketball has appeared to be in limbo for the past week, with the persistent rumors that Head Coach Buzz Williams has interest in other jobs coming to fruition as he became the new head coach at Maryland. But A&M leadership has moved quickly to clear that limbo bar…while also making a halfcourt shot riding on a hoverboard, because Texas A&M has made a revolutionary move by hiring famous YouTube quintet Dude Perfect to run the Aggie basketball program.
“Texas A&M athletics is committed to excellence, and over the past decade, nobody has represented excellence in their field more than Dude Perfect,” said Texas A&M Athletic Director Trev Alberts. “These gentlemen understand hard work, they understand perseverance, and they understand promoting your brand to young people. I can’t think of a better combination of qualities to represent Aggie basketball as we enter this new era of collegiate athletics.”
The five Texas A&M graduates first rose to fame 15 years ago by making a series of basketball trick shots in the backyard of their College Station home, and furthered that fame with a shot from the third deck of Kyle Field and even a series of trick shots with Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel. This past season, they were the College Gameday guest pickers when the ESPN college football pre-game show came to Aggieland. So it’s safe to say they’ve had a long-standing relationship with the athletic department. Now it’s simply official.
In lieu of salary, the Dude Perfect members have acquired the rights to all multi-media content related to Aggie basketball as a part of this partnership. That means that all footage of A&M hoops, from interviews, to practice footage and highlights, will now be hosted exclusively on the Dude Perfect YouTube channel and promoted via their social media platforms. You can also expect to see A&M players play prominent roles in the group’s other content going forward.
A&M will also look to Dude Perfect to revitalize the Reed Arena experience, utilizing lessons learned on their multiple live show tours to make a unique experience for Aggie hoops fans.
When asked about their coaching philosophy, Dude Perfect spokesperson Tyler Toney shared a very specific vision for what they want this team to be.
“Look, if five middle-aged guys like us can make blindfolded half-court shots on the first try, then I know we can get these elite-level athletes to shoot 40% from 3-point range,” Toney said. “I don’t know, we’ll figure it out. Pound i! Noggin’! SEE YA!”
