Doug Pederson Weighs In on Benefits of Jaguars’ New Practice Facility

With the new team facility set to open up in July, the Jaguars' head coach gives his thoughts on the move.

Dubbed the Miller Electric Center, the Jacksonville Jaguars will feature a new home for all team practices starting next month.

For the Jags, the opening of the new center adjacent to TIAA Bank Field gives the team its own space to operate practices and team meetings, an exciting prospect for Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson.

“Man, I tell ya, I think just having our own space, being out from under the stadium, and this has been a great space, obviously since the mid-90s, but to have our own building, a place that guys can really I think call home,” Pederson said. “And even from the standpoint of the offseason where once the season ends, they don’t have to go other places. We’re still in Jacksonville, Florida. The weather’s good in February, March, and April. And guys want to stay here and use the building. And that part I think is going to be the exciting part. 

"And then just, I think having the meeting space, the office space, we kind of joke and kid a lot about the windows and be able to see outside and the fresh air and things like that. I mean those things make a difference and it makes it easier too when you can just step right out onto two beautiful practice fields. You’ve got a great indoor facility over there and you know, can get a lot more work done. And I think that’s the thing that’s probably the most exciting. As we move in the month of July.”

Pederson made clear that having the extra space granted by a larger facility can enhance practices and provide great benefits to the team.

“I’m excited for the extra space,” Pederson said. “Yeah, because we can do more and we can put the quarterbacks and receivers over on another field and get more throws in. We can put the specialists over there. 

"There’s a lot more things we can do. And last year was great at Episcopal having those two fields like that during camp, but now we don’t have to travel. We can just step right out onto the grass and it’s going to be much nicer and easier. If, God forbid, if someone gets injured in practice right there, everything is accessible and it just makes it a little bit easier to move around when you have a 91-man roster like we do.”