Coach Robert Lopez begins his 7th season at The Nueva School as Director of Cross Country/Track & Field, and his 32nd year overall coaching each of the sports.  In his first six seasons at the helm, Coach Robert qualified 8 teams (5 girls/3 boys) to the C.I.F. State Cross Country Championships, as well as captured 1 C.I.F. Central Coast Section cross country team championship (girls), two C.I.F. Central Coast Section cross country team runner-up place finishes (1 girls/1 boys), produced 1 C.I.F. Central Coast Section cross country individual champion (boy/div. 5), 14 undefeated varsity cross country league seasons (7 girls/7 boys), 6 undefeated varsity track & field league seasons (3 girls/3 boys), 14 cross country team league championships (7 girls/7 boys), 6 varsity track & field team league championships (3 girls/3 boys), 13 individual cross country league champions (7 girls/6 boys), 52 individual track & field league champions (28 girls/24 boys), 71 cross country first team all-league athletes (38 girls/33 boys), 16 cross country second team all-league athletes (6 girls/10 boys), 6 cross country honorable mention all-league athletes (1 girl/5 boys), 52 track & field first team all-league athletes (28 girls/24 boys), 31 track and field second team all-league athletes (17 girls/14 boys), and 25 track & field honorable mention all-leauge athletes (15 girls/10 boys)!

Coach Robert came to Nueva from Oaks Christian School in Westlake Village, CA, where he spent 3 years serving as Cross Country/Distance Track & Field Coach for the Lions.  In his 3 short years at Oaks Christian, the boys cross country team set school record performances, achieving their highest place finish at the C.I.F. State Cross Country Championships (4th), and the fastest team time in school history (1:22:50 - 16:34 average) for 5000 meters.  

In Track & Field, the girls team won the CIF Southern Section Track & Field Team Championship in 2016 & 2017, while the boys won the CIF Southern Section Team Championship in 2016, 2017, & 2018, as well as placed runner-up at the CIF State Track & Field Championships in 2017!

Prior to his time at Oaks Christian, Coach Robert spent 18 years as Head Cross Country and Track & Field Coach at La Reina High School, an all-girls private Catholic college preparatory school in Thousand Oaks, CA.  During his tenure at La Reina, Coach Robert’s teams recorded an impressive 238-58-0 (.804) record in cross country, and a 142-56-2 (.715) record in track & field, despite not having a home track facility! 

Coach Robert’s cross country teams qualified for the C.I.F. Southern Section Preliminaries each of his coaching seasons, advancing to the C.I.F. Southern Section Finals 14 times and the California State Championships 11 times.  In 2008, his team won both the C.I.F. Southern Section and California State Division IV Championships. Coach Robert’s teams would reach the podium at the state championships 3 additional times, placing 3rd twice (2007, 2009), and runner-up once (2010)!  In all, Coach Robert’s teams placed in the top 10 at the California State Championships 10 out of 11 trips!

Cross country athletes flourished under Coach Robert’s leadership, producing 29 first team All-Tri Valley League athletes, 3 individual Tri Valley League champions, 4 Tri Valley League M.V.P’s, 6 first team All-Ventura County athletes, 8 first team All-C.I.F. Southern Section athletes, and 8 first team All-State athletes! 

Track & field athletes achieved similar results, as Coach Robert would qualify 180 athletes in 312 events for C.I.F. Southern Section Championship competition, as well as produce 74 Tri Valley League champions, 22 Ventura County champions, 3 C.I.F. Southern Section individual champions, 4 C.I.F. Southern Section Masters qualifiers, 3 C.I.F. State Championship qualifiers, and 2 N.S.A.F. Outdoor National Track & Field Championship qualifiers.

Throughout his coaching career, Coach Robert has been recognized for his teams’ success, being named Tri Valley League Cross Country Coach of the Year 7 times (2000, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014), Tri Valley League Track & Field Coach of the Year twice (2013, 2015), Ventura County Cross Country Track & Field Coaches Association Coach of the Year twice (2006, 2008), Los Angeles Daily News All-Area Coach of the Year (2008), Tri Valley League Coaches Distinguished Service Award (2015), C.I.F. Central Coast Section Cross Country Division V Championship Coach Award (2021), Central Coast Section Athletic Directors Association Distiguished Service Award (2022), and was selected as the 2022 PSAL Track & Field Honor Coach of the Year! 

Coach Robert studied at California Lutheran University, earning a bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology.  Coach Robert is also a USATF Level 1 National Certified Coach, NFHS Level 1 Coach, NFHS Level 2 Coach, NFHS Level 3 Coach, NFHS Accredited Interscholastic Coach, and NFHS Certified Interscholastic Coach.