Tom Herman accepted the Texas job back in November, and though his first game isn’t for another seven months or so, he’s already making his mark on the program.

Though maybe marking his territory would be a more accurate phrasing, considering this chart was found above a urinal at Texas’s Moncrief-Neuhas Athletic Center:

Yes, that’s a chart detailing proper levels of hydration, as judged by the color of urine. That is definitely a commitment to detail, as Anwar notes, and it’s obviously funny to imagine players glancing up and down from the chart to the drain, trying to gauge just where they fall on this particular spectrum. But is the science behind it any good?

According to a hasty Google search, sure, kind of:

  • Pale yellow to clear is normal, and indicates that you’re well-hydrated.
  • Light yellow and transparent is also normal and indicates an ideal hydration status.
  • A pale honey, transparent color indicates normal hydration, but it may mean you need to rehydrate soon.
  • A yellow, more cloudy color means your body needs water.
  • A darker yellow, amber color isn’t healthy. Your body needs water.
  • Orangish yellow and darker: you’re severely dehydrated. Contact your doctor immediately.

Science! And if you’re curious about why your urine could be blue or green, well, here’s way too much information on that for you. You might regret clicking that link.

So Herman’s chart is actually a handy guide, all things considered. Whether or not it’s going to help his team win games going forward is another matter entirely; one could look at something like this and think “This guy thinks of everything! He’ll be great!”, but one could just as easily view it as “This guy is wasting time thinking about his team’s urine coloration?”

But Herman’s had success already as a coach, so it’s reasonable to give him the benefit of the doubt on this one.

I’m now going to go drink a gallon of water.

About Jay Rigdon

Jay is a columnist at Awful Announcing. He is not a strong swimmer. He is probably talking to a dog in a silly voice at this very moment.