When Louisiana Tech?s football players reported to duty Sunday, the Bulldogs were met by a completely renovated football locker room in the Charles Wyly Athletic Complex.

The $500,000 renovation of the locker room was made possible monies given by Tech President Dr. Dan Reneau as well as donations raised by head coach Derek Dooley through former Bulldog letter winners and what the first year head coach refered to as ?friends of football.?

?I said from day one that I wanted this locker room done the right way,? Dooley said. ?I want our players to be proud of it. We ask these guys to go out and represent this school, and they deserve to have a top notch locker room. I think it looks great, and I know our players are excited about it as well.?
The locker room boasts new carpet, new tiling, new ceilings, new ceiling fans, new bathroom and shower facilities and new lockers.

?Coach Dooley has done a great job of instilling pride in everybody,? said junior Weldon Brown. ?Having something like this is going to be exciting for everyone involved with the team. As players, I know it makes us want to perform to our highest level because we see what our head coach and others are trying to do the things that will help us be successful.?

Dooley said he was very appreciative for the financial donations made by former players, managers and coaches as well as the assistance from former Bulldog Matt Massey who was instrumental in the new locker room.

?This is as much about our former players as our current ones,? Dooley said. ?Anyone who has ever been a part of this program will be very proud of this new facility. We couldn?t have done it without so many of these guys giving back to the program.?