SkyCoach Success Story: A college coach's instant replay journey from skepticism to endorsement amid weather trials
Photo credit: MSU Mustangs Facebook
In 2023, the Lone Star Conference followed the trend set forth by the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association the year prior to implement officials instant replay for football by partnering with SkyCoach. The conference has nine football teams.
However, one coach within the conference wanted to make sure the technology worked as advertised.
Richard Renner, then the defensive coordinator and now the head coach at Midwestern State, was initially skeptical about the SkyCoach technology living up to its promises. That skepticism started a few years ago when the conference attempted to use Hudl’s replay system, which ended up being a complete failure, according to Renner.
During the season the Mustangs used Hudl’s replay for home games, it only worked for three of their six games at Memorial Stadium, and when it did work the video was distorted with missing pixels, the coach stated. Hudl was unable to solve the issues that season for Midwestern State and the Mustangs never had replay again until the conference signed with SkyCoach in 2023.
“I’ve literally been through the worst weather with it and it still worked, I have no problem fully endorsing SkyCoach.”
When you hear those type of stats, it’s understandable where his apprehension came from. But after his first hands-on experience with SkyCoach, in the pouring down rain, Renner was immediately sold.
SkyCoach shipped out Midwestern State’s equipment early in the summer so Renner could do a test run during the Oil Bowl, a postseason all-star game for high schoolers also held at Memorial Stadium.
“You have to understand that the last thing any football coach wants to deal with or worry about when preparing to win a football game is things that don’t have to do with winning the game. I heard about SkyCoach and what all it could do, but I needed to see it for myself and the workings of it. That’s why I was so skeptical.”
Renner’s Sports Information Director, Trey Reed, was on vacation during the time of the Oil Bowl, which meant he was solo during the SkyCoach test run.
“(SkyCoach CEO) Keith Simpson literally walked me through the setup on the Saturday morning of the game, step-by-step, on a Zoom call. It was awesome,” Renner said, adding, “I’m by myself so it took me about 45 minutes to get everything set. I filmed from the end zone to see how my filmers would feel. We got all the way into the second quarter and we got hit with rain and lightening in the area. I covered up the screen and camera like Keith suggested. We were in that weather delay for at least two or three hours and it was flooding the field and the wind was blowing.
“After the delay, I took the garbage bags off and went right back to using it. Everything worked like a champ in the storm with the wind and lightening.
“I called Keith the next day to tell him it worked exactly as he said it would. It worked great. So, I’ve literally been through the worst weather with it and it still worked, I have no problem fully endorsing SkyCoach.”
A few months later, Midwestern State, and the rest of the Lone Star Conference’s football teams, kicked off their season using SkyCoach’s technology without issues.
“Once we got into the season, we didn’t have one problem at all,” Renner said.
“It’s definitely worth every penny, especially when the cost of it was nowhere near what they charged us for Hudl’s sideline replay. I think the No. 1 reason you want SkyCoach is the price. It’s a whole lot cheaper than Hudl. No. 2 — it works through all types of weather, plus it’s simple. My 12-year-old kid could set it up. It’s easy for someone who is not saavy in video or tech. No. 3 is the fact that it worked exactly as advertised. We didn’t have one issue. The referees used our replay at least four times, maybe more, at our home games. It just works.
“I wish I could talk to all coaches (about SkyCoach) because when something works and does exactly what you say it can do, I always told Keith that if he needed anything to call me.”
Renner was promoted to the head coaching position in December of 2023. He served as the defensive line coach in 2006 and 2007 before become defensive coordinator in 2008. In all, Renner spent the last 18 years on the Midwestern's coaching staff.
He helped guide the Mustangs to eight NCAA Division II postseason showings, a bowl appearance, and five Lone Star Conference titles since joining the staff in 2006.
Renner served as a linebacker and defensive line coach and was the video coordinator at West Texas A&M University in Canyon. He also had coaching experience at Austin Peay State University and University of Louisville.
