Texas A&M University hired Bear Bryant as head football coach in 1954, replacing former coach Ray George. Bryant arrived in College Station on February 8, 1954 and began cleaning house. He felt that many of the players on the team were weak and not properly trained or coached. He decided that his players needed a camp away from the distractions on campus; thus, he arranged for the camp to be held at the 411-acre (1.7 km²) adjunct campus of Texas A&M at the small town of Junction (now the Texas Tech University Center at Junction).