Football
- Title:
- Sr. Special Assistant to the Head Coach
- Phone:
- 205-348-3600
Drew Svoboda begins his second season with the Alabama Crimson Tide football program and his first as the Senior Special Assistant to the Head Coach. He served as the Special Teams Coordinator and Tight Ends coach in 2021.
As Senior Special Assistant to the Head Coach, Svoboda will be actively involved in a multitude of aspects of the Crimson Tide program, including offensive and special teams game and practice prep as well as statistical analytics, recruiting and evaluation of high school and transfer portal prospects. He will also assist Coach Saban with special projects to stay on the cutting edge of college football's changing landscape.
In 2021 while coaching tight ends, Svoboda's unit accounted for 11 touchdowns and helped the Crimson Tide finish seventh in the country in both total offense and passing offense while finishing sixth nationally in scoring. Junior Cam Latu had 26 receptions for 410 yards and set the Alabama record for receiving touchdowns by a tight end with eight. Jahleel Billingsly added 17 receptions for 256 yards and three touchdowns.
As the Special Teams Coordinator, Svoboda led some of the best units in the country. The Tide's special teams units ranked first nationally in points scored with 164, including four touchdowns. UA tied for second nationally with two touchdowns on kickoffs returns.
Alabama also finished tied for second nationally in blocked punts with three, including two for touchdowns while ranking second in the SEC with 23 field goals made, fourth in kickoff return average (25.33 ypg) and fifth in kickoff coverage defense.
Junior transfer Jameson Williams proved to be one of the best kickoff returners in the nation, averaging 35.2 yards per return including a 100-yard touchdown. He is the only player in Alabama history to return two kicks for scores in the same game, housing two against Southern Mississippi.
Will Reichard led the SEC and ranked fifth nationally in scoring and was named to the Lou Groza Award Watch List, presented annually to the nation's top placekicker. The Tide's punting unit was one of the most efficient in the country as one of only eight teams who did not surrender a touchback with seven punts downed inside the 10-yard line.
In 2021, Svoboda was hired by the University of Memphis as the special teams coordinator. Svoboda coached the Tigers special teams units during spring practice before joining the Crimson Tide.
Prior to Memphis, Svoboda spent 3 seasons at Rice University in Houston. Serving multiple roles as both the running backs coach and the special teams coordinator.
At Rice in 2020, the Owls played five games in a pandemic shortened season with the special teams still producing at a high level. Svoboda's units ranked 14th nationally in total special teams grades by Pro Football Focus (PFF).
In 2019, the Svoboda led Special Teams ranked 4th nationally from Pro Football Focus (PFF). 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. Faced with the challenge of replacing the 2018 C-USA Special Teams Player of the Year and future NFL All Pro Punter Jack Fox, Svoboda's replacement stepped up to the challenge. Former walk-on Chris Barnes earned second team all-conference honors while averaging 44.8 yard per punt. They were second in C-USA in both net punt and punt return defense, finishing 17th and 14th nationally in both categories. Future NFL WR, Austin Trammell ranked fourth in C-USA in punt returns while long snapper Cameron Riddle earned honorable mention All-Conference USA honors.
In 2018, Svoboda coached the Rice running backs to a few record setting performances. True freshman Juma Otoviano set the freshman single game rushing record in a 224-yard performance in the season finale. Senior Emmanuel Esukpa topped 100 yards in two of the first three games, including 173 yards in the season opener, the most by an Owl in an opener since the Doak Walker award winning 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.
Prior to moving on to the college ranks, Svoboda served as the Head Coach and Athletic Director at Klein Collins High School located in the Greater Houston area for 10 seasons. He inherited a program that was 5-25 the previous 3 seasons prior to his arrival (2008) and led them to a 30-5 mark the next 3 years with back to back district championships. One of the biggest turnarounds in Texas High School football history.
A multiple time Texas High School Coach of the Year Winner, he posted a 93-24 record (.795 winning percentage) and led the Tigers to 5 district crowns along with three undefeated regular seasons while leading the Tigers to the State playoffs in eight of 10 seasons.
Inducted into the Greater Houston Football Coaches Hall of Honor in 2022, Svoboda has received numerous coaching honors, including being named Houston Texans NFL High School Coach of the Year, Dave Campbells Texas football 6A pre-season Coach of the Year, Vype Magazine Coach of the Year, 5-time 6A District coach of the year and the National Football Foundation's Houston TD Club Coach of the year finalist five times.
While at Klein Collins, Svoboda coached multiple players who reached the NFL such as Mike Goodson, Demetri Goodson, Matt Allen, Jordan Thomas, Frankie Griffin and Isaiah Spiller. He also sent over 70 players on to play collegiately during his time at Klein Collins.
Svoboda served terms as both the President and Vice President of the Greater Houston Football Coaches Association which include over 150 high schools and was also on the Board of Directors for the Texas High School Coaches Association (THSCA), serving as one of the Region Five Directors. He was also a Chairman for the selection committee of the THSCA all-star game. For his efforts, he was elected by his peers to be the head coach in the Bayou Bowl All Star game.
Svoboda began his coaching career at the high school level in the Greater Houston area as an offensive assistant/offensive coordinator at Caney Creek, Klein Collins and Oak Ridge High School.
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.
