Svob, a native of Jerome, earned letters in football from 1938 to 1940. He joined the U of A staff as freshman football coach in 1941, a position which he held again in 1947 and 1948. He was director of intramural sports from 1942-58 and served as assistant athletic director from 1959-66. Svob was Dean of Men from 1966 until 1972, at which time he was appointed Dean of Students , a position he held until 1983. Svob also assisted the development of high school sports as commissioner of the Arizona Scholastic Association from 1950-59.