UCLA football coach Karl Dorrell has found the final piece in
his coaching puzzle, and it’s Jim Svoboda.
On Wednesday, Svoboda was named the team’s quarterbacks
coach, replacing former offensive coordinator Steve Axman, who also
handled the quarterbacks coaching duties. Svoboda comes from
Division II Northwest Missouri State University, where he spent 10
years as the team’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks
coach.
“I am very excited to add Jim to our staff,” Dorrell
said in a statement. “He has accomplished everything he can
at his level, and he is looking forward to coming to
UCLA.”
“He has built a reputation as a great technician in the
development of quarterbacks,” Dorrell continued. “I
feel he will be a great fit with the rest of our staff and just
what our program needs.”
Svoboda, a one-time Division II offensive coordinator of the
year, coached a highly potent NWMSU offense that led Division II
teams in scoring in 1998 and 2000. In 2000, the Bearcats averaged
48.8 points per game and ranked third nationally in total offense
with 492.4 yards per game.
Under Svoboda’s tutelage, several quarterbacks blossomed
at NWMSU. Two of Svoboda’s former quarterbacks ““ Travis
Miles and Chris Greisen ““ rank in the top 20 in career
passing efficiency for Division II.
At UCLA, Svoboda will develop sophomore quarterback Drew Olson,
who will retain the starting job he earned last season, according
to Dorrell. With the transfers of Matt Moore and John Sciarra, the
Bruins are thin at the quarterback position. The Bruins did retain
redshirt freshman quarterback Brian Callahan, and brought in junior
transfer David Koral and incoming freshman Pat Cowan in this
season’s recruiting class.
Svoboda said he has not begun to evaluate UCLA’s crop of
quarterbacks, but he has seen Olson’s stats from last
season.
“I’m familiar with (Olson’s) stats, but I
haven’t had much of a chance to see him play,” Svoboda
said. “That’s the way you want it ““ you
don’t want any prior conclusions. You need to see them in
person and see them up close. So much of the quarterback position
is intangible, it’s what is between their ears.”