re: Bama Football Tidings

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Alabama officially hired Drew Svoboda as its special teams coordinator and tight ends coach Monday, which effectively filled out Nick Saban’s on-field coaching staff for the 2021 season.

Svoboda was added after Jay Graham resigned following the Crimson Tide’s second practice of the spring due to mental health issues. Following UA’s 10th spring practice Wednesday, Saban revealed what stood out about Svoboda’s background during the interview process.

“We’re really pleased with it,” Saban said of the hire. “He’s got a lot of connections. He knows a lot of people in Texas, which we thought was very, very important. 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 arrives at Alabama 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 stints in college, Svoboda was a successful head coach at Klein Collins High School in Spring, Texas.

Although he’s poised to coordinate special teams and coach tight ends this fall, Svoboda won’t be as hands-on this spring, Saban said Wednesday. Instead, the special assistant to the head coach, Todd Watson, will continue to lead special teams like he has most of the spring. “Todd Watson was really sort of the No. 1 intern on special teams, so he’s kind of running the special teams,” Saban said.

“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. 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.

"We’re probably a lot more flexible now when it comes to coaches because last year we had guys in and out. I mean I think we had (four) full-time coaches out for the LSU game last year. We’re a little more flexible when things like this happen, and Todd has done a good job of stepping up and helping us get through the spring. I haven’t seen us really skip a beat from a special teams execution standpoint.”

Alabama will return to the practice field Friday, March 9, for its final tune-up before Saturday’s scrimmage at Bryant-Denny Stadium, which will be the Tide’s second of the spring season.

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