Alabama officially announces the hiring of Drew Svoboda
Alabama head football coach Nick Saban announced the addition of Drew Svoboda to the Crimson Tide staff on Monday as the special teams coordinator and tight ends coach.
"We are pleased to have the opportunity to add Drew Svoboda to our staff to coordinate special teams and coach the tight ends," Saban said. "He is a bright young football coach who has been successful at every stop of his coaching career. He does an excellent job in terms of teaching the players, and he is someone we believe will be a tremendous asset on the recruiting trail. We are happy to welcome his wife Kristi and their children Austyn and Jack to the Crimson Tide program.”
Svoboda arrives at the Capstone after three years coaching special teams at Rice and one spring as the special teams coordinator at Memphis. He also spent one year as the running backs coach (2018) for the Owls and two years tutoring the fullbacks (2019-20). Prior to his time in college, Svoboda was a highly successful head coach at Klein Collins High School in Spring, Texas.
“I am thrilled and honored to have the opportunity to join Coach Saban’s staff at The University of Alabama,” Svoboda said. “I have an incredible amount of appreciation for the program Coach Saban has built in Tuscaloosa and the history and tradition at Alabama. I look forward coordinating the special teams and coaching tight ends while doing my part to help continue the success this program has enjoyed.”
In 2020, Svoboda’s Owls played five games in the middle of the pandemic with the Rice special teams producing at a high level. The placekickers connected on 9-of-12 field goals while the punting unit averaged 42.8 yards per punt. Rice ranked 14th nationally in total special teams rankings in 2020 by Pro Football Focus. One year prior, the Owls ranked fourth nationally in special teams grades from Pro Football Focus in 2019. Rice was also second in C-USA and ranked 18th nationally in ESPN’s special teams efficiency rankings.
Svoboda made the jump to collegiate coaching in 2018 after guiding Klein Collins High School to five district championships, eight playoff appearances and a 93-24 record in 10 seasons as head coach of the Tigers. His .795 winning percentage ranked sixth among active Texas 6A head coaches at the end of the 2017 season.
Svoboda served on the President of the Greater Houston Football Coaches Association and was on the Board of Directors for the Texas High School Coaches Association (THSCA), serving as one of the Region Five Directors.
Svoboda was a tight end and fullback and two-time Academic All-Southland Conference at Stephen F. Austin. He helped lead the Lumberjacks to the 1999 Southland Conference title. Svoboda and his wife, Kristi, are the parents of two children, daughter Austyn and son Jack.
While appropriate members of The Board of Trustees have been notified of the proposed terms and conditions of this proposed appointment, the financial terms remain subject to approval by The Board of Trustees.
This report was acquired from a recent Alabama Athletics release
