Why No. 1 Mater Dei trusts SkyCoach replay: “It helps us win the game every week”

When you're the No. 1 high school football team in the country, every detail matters. At powerhouse Mater Dei (Santa Ana, CA), that means using the most reliable and efficient replay system in the game: SkyCoach.

Since 2017, Mater Dei has trusted SkyCoach on the sideline and in the booth—and according to longtime staff and coaches, it’s become a non-negotiable part of how they operate.

“It helps us win the game every week,” said Greg Oldham, who has been at Mater Dei for 18 years and is the school’s lead on SkyCoach setup. “It’s an invaluable tool to help us see what we need to do on the field and how we need to do it.”

On any given Friday night, Mater Dei’s SkyCoach setup includes one large sideline TV, seven iPads on the sideline, and four iPads in the press box, giving coaches immediate access to multiple angles and instant feedback.

“In the past, we’d have to ask our kids ‘What did you see out there?’ and hope to piece it together,” Oldham said. “SkyCoach has improved that process so we can be quick and efficient—making adjustments on offense, defense and special teams.”

While Mater Dei has access to Hudl Sideline as part of a bundled package, Oldham says they stick with SkyCoach by choice.

“We have the Hudl system—it comes with the package—but we choose not to use it because SkyCoach is so good,” he said. “The SkyCoach support team, it’s a million to one versus Hudl with the SkyCoach support.”

Head coach Raul Lara, who previously used SkyCoach at Servite and St. Anthony’s, echoes that sentiment.

“Before I started using SkyCoach, I was using Hudl and I hated it. It was horrible. The first time I used SkyCoach, it was excellent,” said Lara, who has been coaching for 33-years. “I’ve never experienced anything like that—how quickly the video gets uploaded and played back. SkyCoach made a big difference for us.”

During games, Lara said the process is seamless: once a series ends, players gather around the sideline TV while coaches review key moments on iPads to provide individual feedback.

“To me, it’s like not having a cell phone. Everyone is so dependent on them that if you don’t have one, you feel lost,” Lara said. “That’s how we utilize SkyCoach regarding football strategy. If we don’t have it, we’re asking, ‘What do we do now?’”

“I’ve been coaching for 33 years, so for me, in the moment you can visually see it and explain it better to a kid. The kid can see it and we’re able to get certain things corrected right away. It’s a vital tool for us. It helps us clean up some stuff, especially the stuff that’s bugging us on the field and no one can explain what happened until we get to the iPad with SkyCoach and we see the film.”

Oldham praised the range and reliability of SkyCoach’s antennas and signal strength, saying no other system comes close.

“The antennas and range are by far the best of any system we’ve seen or used,” Oldham said. “If there’s a coach not using SkyCoach, he’s at a huge disadvantage during the game because he can’t get that instantaneous feedback to give to his team.”

For a team that competes at the highest level each year, SkyCoach is more than just a tool—it’s a difference-maker.

“It’s night and day compared to any other system I’ve ever used,” Lara said. “With SkyCoach, i just goes bam and it’s there. I feel like I’m an NFL team getting the best of the best. That’s the biggest difference, getting the information as quickly as possible.”