Breaking down Alabama's coaching staff: Drew Svoboda

Over the next few days, BamaInsider will provide a breakdown of the Alabama coaching staff. Today we continue the series with Drew Svoboda who is entering his first season as the Crimson Tide’s special teams coordinator and tight ends coach.

Click the video above for a breakdown of Svoboda. Below are five things to know about the Tide assistant.

Previous breakdowns: Saban | O’Brien | Golding | Marrone | Wiggins | Gillespie | Kelly

Svoboda wasn’t originally in Alabama’s plans for this year’s coaching staff. However, following the surprise resignation of newly-hired special teams and tight ends coach Jay Graham in late March, the Tide turned his way. Svoboda had previously taken the special teams job at Memphis in January before jumping at the chance to join Alabama when Nick Saban and company came calling.

Svoboda’s late arrival led to a somewhat limited role this spring as Alabama leaned on analyst Todd Watson to lead the special teams unit while the first-year assistant got his bearings.

“It’s the first time I’ve ever had to hire a guy in the middle of spring practice, so we’re not gonna throw [Svoboda] out there in front of the players,” Saban explained at the time. “He’s learning our system. He’s learning our scheme. He’s actually having input in the meetings but really can’t coach the players. And he’s really doing the same thing with the offense relative to the tight ends.

Alabama hasn’t had any problems poaching talent from Texas in recent years. However, the Tide’s presence in the Lone Star State took a bit of a hit this offseason as it lost its two biggest Texas recruiters in Jeff Banks and Karl Scott. The addition of Svoboda should allow Alabama to maintain its stronghold in the state as he began his coaching career as a successful high school coach in the Houston area before spending the last three seasons at Rice.

Svoboda spent 10 seasons at Klein Collins High School, posting a 93-24 record while making eight playoff appearances. The year before Svoboda’s arrival, Klein Collins posted a 1-9 season. Two seasons later, he led the Tigers to a 12-1 record and their first of five district titles under his watch. Svoboda was named Houston Football Coach of the Year by VYPE Magazine after leading Klein Collins to the state semifinals in 2016. He was tabbed as Dave Campbell's Texas Football Preseason 6A Coach of the Year the following year.

Along with his coaching success, Svoboda also served as the president of the Greater Houston Football Coaches Association and was on the board of directors for the Texas High School Coaches Association, serving as the Region Five director.

“He’s got a lot of connections; he knows a lot of people in Texas which we thought was very, very important,” Saban said this spring. “He was the best teacher in the interview, and he certainly hasn’t disappointed in his input that he’s had to this point.”

Svoboda spent his first season at Rice coaching running backs before serving as the Owls’ special teams coordinator the past two years. The switch came with instant adversity as he was tasked with replacing the reigning Conference USA Special Teams Player of the Year in punter Jack Fox as well as starting kicker Haden Tobola in 2019.

Nevertheless, Svoboda was able to produce a suitable replacement as former walk-on Chris Barnes earned second-team all-conference honors averaging 44.8 yards per punt while connecting on 8 of 10 field-goal attempts. Rice ranked fourth nationally that season with an 88.3 special teams grade from Pro Football Focus.

Last season, Svoboda’s special teams unit ranked No. 14 nationally, earning an 85.2 grade from PFF. Owls kicker Collin Riccitelli converted on 9 of 12 field-goal attempts and 10 of 11 extra-point tries while punter Charlie Mendes averaged 42.76 yards on 21 punts.

Svoboda was a three-year starter at Stephen F. Austin where he played tight end and fullback, helping the Lumberjacks to the 1999 Southland Conference title. However, his most influential time with the program came in his early years when he served on the scout team against Gene Chizik’s defense.

During an interview with Lone Star Gridiron in 2016, Svoboda recalled listening in to Chizik’s halftime speeches to the defense as well as going up against the then defensive coordinator during practice.

“He was unbelievably fiery, super intense and just an unbelievable football coach,” Svoboda said at the time. “In my first year there, I ran a lot of scout team… We had to perform for him. If we didn’t take care of business, we’d hear about it.”

Saban expressed plenty of confidence in Svoboda this spring. He isn’t the only one who expects the first-year assistant to thrive in his new role. In April, VYPE Magazine caught up with several of Svoboda’s peers from the Houston area who all expect him to carry over his success at Alabama.

"Drew is an amazing coach and as someone that played under Nick Saban, he will fit in great with the culture and expectations that have been established at Alabama," said former Klein Oak head coach, who played linebacker on Saban’s Miami Dolphins team in 2005. “I'm happy for him."

Added North Shore head coach Jon Kay: "Drew Svoboda on staff at Alabama is testament to the quality of coaching at the high school level in Texas, and more specifically the Houston area. His seamless transition and meteoric rise is really no surprise to anyone who knows Drew. I think college and NFL teams get stuck recycling coaches over and over and I credit Mike Bloomgren at Rice, along with other coaches who have dipped into the high school ranks when building their staff, for recognizing coaching talent and giving Drew the opportunity he deserved. We certainly look forward to working with Drew as he recruits the Houston area for years to come.”