Men's and Women's Track & Field

August 14, 2008

Trinity Hires New Head Coach for Track & Field

San Antonio – Trinity University Director of Athletics Bob King has announced the appointment of David Svoboda as the new head Tiger men’s and women’s track and field coach.

Svoboda, an associate head coach at the University of Chicago, takes over the program from Jenny Breuer, who served as the track and field and cross country coach for eight years. Breuer will continue as Trinity’s head cross country coach.

“We are really excited about David joining our staff, and being a part of the restructuring of our track and field and cross country programs,” King said. “Coach Breuer did a great job in track and field, and we look forward to David continuing that tradition. With coach Breuer making the move to focus her efforts on cross country, and with the addition of coach Svoboda, our department will be better equipped to serve the needs of the student-athletes in those sports.”

Svoboda became an associate head track and field coach and assistant professor in physical education for the Maroons in 2006. He coached student-athletes in the sprints, jumps, hurdles and combined events, as well as having recruiting duties. Chicago won the 2008 men’s and women’s University Athletic Association (UAA) Indoor Championships. Svoboda and his colleagues were selected as the UAA Men’s and Women’s Indoor Coaching Staffs of the Year. His athletes won 17 UAA championships and 69 All-UAA performances. During his tenure, his Maroon athletes produced four All-Americans, eight NCAA Division III qualifiers and had 11 provisional national qualifiers. Fifteen school records were set, along with a UAA Championship mark.

“My goals are simple,” Svoboda said. “Show up everyday and work hard.  That goes for myself and the entire team.  The Trinity track and field team has had great success over the last few years under coach Breuer, winning several SCAC (Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference) titles and qualifying individuals to the national meet.

Through continued hard work in the classroom, on the track, and in our recruiting efforts we can become a mainstay at the top of the SCAC (Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference) standings, while earning All-Academic Team honors and challenging for NCAA trophies.”

Prior to his term at Chicago, Svoboda was an assistant coach at Millikin University in Decatur, Ill., from 2005 to 2006. His coaching responsibilities were hurdles, jumps and middle distance events. The Big Blue produced three NCAA Division III All-Americans and four national qualifiers. In addition, four school records were established and Millikin student-athletes won six individual Collegiate Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) Championships, along with All-CCIW performances, under coach Svoboda’s guidance.

Svoboda spent two years at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, as the Huskers graduate assistant and volunteer assistant coach.  As a volunteer coach he assisted with the sprint and hurdle events. Svoboda assisted with 12 All-Americans and 13 Big 12 winners, including the 2004 Division I women’s 60-meter hurdles national champion. As a graduate assistant, Svoboda coordinated all on-campus recruiting visits.  Nebraska won six out of eight Big XII titles over the 2004-2005 seasons,.

He began his coaching career at Fairview High School in Boulder, Colo. Svoboda worked at Fairview from 2000 to 2003, serving as a head track and field coach and assistant cross country coach. Fairview won three Colorado Class 5A cross country state team championships.

Additional coaching experience included stints with USA Track and Field in the Levels I and II certification programs.

Svoboda earned the Bachelor of Science in mathematics in 1999 from Nebraska Wesleyan University in Lincoln. He was a four-year letter-winner in both track and field and cross country. He received the Master of Science in leadership development from Nebraska in 2006.

”I have had the opportunity to work with some outstanding coaches and student-athletes throughout my career as an athlete and a coach,” said Svoboda, a native of Lincoln. “I feel I have learned something from every person I have had contact with.  The culmination of those experiences have made me the person and coach I am today.  They motivate me to provide a positive experience for every student-athlete I have the opportunity to work with.  I will do whatever I can to make Trinity an even better place.”