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Taking over as the head football coach at Nebraska Wesleyan at the age of 27, Jim Svoboda quickly proved that his lack of experience would be made up with enthusiasm and hard work.
Svoboda began his tenure in 1987 and would coach for six seasons compiling an overall record of 51-20 from 1987-93 for a winning percentage of .718, the highest of any football coach in NWU history. He led the Plainsmen to three Nebraska Iowa Athletic Conference Championships and his teams qualified for the NAIA Playoffs in three seasons. The Plainsmen dominated the NIAC under Svoboda winning 29 of 37 games.
His most successful season came in 1989 when the Plainsmen won the NAIC Championship, finishing the regular season with a 9-1 record. After losing the opening game, NWU ran off nine straight wins while shattering school records for total offense and points per game. The Plainsmen advanced to the NAIA Division II Playoffs defeating Chadron State 46-43 in double overtime for the lone postseason win in school history. NWU ended the year in the NAIA quarterfinals finishing the season ranked seventh in the NAIA, the highest final ranking of any Nebraska Wesleyan football team in history.
He coached 11 All-Americans, nine Academic All-Americans and was the head coach of Shawn Bouwens who was an NFL draft pick of the New England Patriots and Steve DeShazer who signed as a free agent with the New Orleans Saints.
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