Monaco MON - Recently retired Rice head coach Victor Lopez was named the chairman of the International Association of Athletics Federations coaches commission, the IAAF recently announced.

The IAAF has been the international governing body of track and field since its founding 1912. The coaches commission was established in 2004 to give coaches an official voice within the IAAF structure. The tasks assign to the commission include advising the IAAF on coaching education matters, developing proposals for technical changes, and running the IAAF Coaches Academy.

The commission is made up of the presidents of the IAAF Regional Coaches Associations: North America/Central America/Carribean (Lopez), Oceania, Africa, Asia, South America and Europe, plus the director of the IAAF development department.

Lopez spent 26 years as head coach of the Rice women's track program, leading the team to three indoor conference titles, four outdoor conference titles and three cross country titles. Additionally, his student-athletes earned all-America honors 152 times.