Football
- Title:
- Special Teams Coordinator/Tight Ends
- Phone:
- 205-348-3600
Drew Svoboda was hired in March of 2021 by Alabama head coach Nick Saban to coach tight ends and coordinate special teams for the Crimson Tide. Â
After a successful run as a high school coach in the Houston area, Svoboda is beginning his fourth year in the collegiate ranks after three seasons at Rice. He spent the 2018 campaign as the Owls running backs coach before two years as the special teams coordinator (2019-20). Before joining the Crimson Tide, Svoboda coached at Memphis in the spring of 2021 as the Tigers' special teams coordinator.
At Alabama, Svoboda will inherit tight ends Jahleel Billingsley, Major Tennison and Cameron Latu along with incoming freshmen Caden Clark and Robbie Ouzts. On special teams, the Tide returns Lou Groza Award semifinalist Will Reichard, who was a perfect 98 for 98 on field goal and PAT attempts last season.
At Rice in 2020, Svoboda's Owls played five games in the middle of the pandemic with the special teams producing at a high level. The place-kickers 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.
Faced with the challenge of replacing the C-USA Special Teams Player of the Year (Jack Fox) as well as kicker Haden Tabola in 2019, Svoboda's replacements surpassed their efforts. Former walk-on Chris Barnes earned second team all-conference honors while averaging 44.8 yard per punt and he combined to grad transfer Adam Nunez to rank fourth nationally in special teams grades from Pro Football Focus. Rice was second in the conference and 18th nationally in ESPN's specialty teams efficiency rankings and their 63.1 rating was the third highest in program history. They were second in C-USA in both net Punting and punt return defense, finishing 17th and 14th nationally in both categories. Austin Trammell ranked fourth in C-USA in punt and kick returns and the Owls ranked fourth in punt returns the conference overall with a 9.2-yard average while long snapper Cameron Riddle earned honorable mention All-Conference USA honors.  Â
In 2018, he coached the Rice running backs and saw his runners top 100 yards four times, capped by Juma Otoviano's freshman record 224-yard effort against Old Dominion in the season finale. Senior Emmanuel Esukpa topped 100 yards in two of the first three games, including 173 yards in the season opener vs. Prairie View A&M, the most by an Owl in an opener since Trevor Cobb had 191 in 1991. Fellow senior Austin Walter concluded his career joining Cobb as the only players in school history to have 1,500 yards rushing, 500 yards receiving and 1,000 kick return yards in their career before signing as a free agent with the San Francisco 49ers.
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.
He took over a program that was 1-9 the season prior to his arrival (2008) and two years later led them to a 12-1 mark and a district championship. For his efforts, he earned the first of five Touchdown Club of Houston Coach of the Year finalist awards as well as five District 15 6A Coach of the Year honors and the Houston Texans NFL High School Coach of the Year honors.
Svoboda was named Dave Campbell's Texas Football Preseason 6A Coach of the year in 2017 after leading Klein Collins to the state semifinals in 2016. He was also tabbed by VYPE Magazine as its Houston Football Coach of the Year in 2016. Prior to that season, he coached the East Team in the Bayou Bowl High School All-Star game.
Svoboda served on the President of the Greater Houston 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. He is a 1995 graduate of Tomball high school, where he lettered in football and track.
Svoboda and his wife, Kristi, are the parents of two children, daughter Austyn and son Jack.
