GAINESVILLE, FL - Dan Pfaff, internationally respected track and field coach, was named as an assistant track and field coach as announced by Florida head coach Mike Holloway on Wednesday.

A respected authority on field event coaching around the world who has guided 33 Olympians and 29 NCAA individual national champions, Pfaff has more than 30 years of coaching to his credit, including as the women's track and field head coach at the University of Texas-El Paso and assistant coaching positions at the University of Texas-Austin and LSU.

"Having the opportunity to work with somebody of Dan's ability is very exciting for me and the Florida track and field program as a whole," Holloway said. "The experience he brings to the table is from an international level and Dan is somebody who can help the team get better and help the coaching staff as a whole get better. We're all really excited about what he brings to the program."

Pfaff has tutored athletes who have combined to earn 150 NCAA All- America honors in his career, while also guiding 33 Olympians who went on to earn seven medals. He coached Tore Johnson, who set the world record in the weight throw in 1984, and four-time NCAA high jump champion and Canadian record holder Mark Boswell.

"I'm grateful for the opportunity that Jeremy Foley and Mike Holloway have offered to me," Pfaff said. "I've always respected the program from afar having spent 11 years in the SEC. In the last year, I've learned that I want to return to teaching and I'm excited to get back into college coaching."

In addition to Boswell and Johnson, Pfaff coached 1996 Olympic gold medalist and 100m world record holder Donovan Bailey. He also helped guide former Canadian star Bruny Surin, who claimed the silver medal in the 100m at the 1999 World Championships. He also coached Obadele Thompson of Barbados to a bronze in the 100m at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney.

Pfaff has served as a coach on teams that have won 17 NCAA titles (15 women, two men) and has coached on three Olympic team staffs and seven World Championships staffs.

He most recently worked as a private consultant following his assistant coaching stint at Texas from 1995-03. Prior to his arrival in Austin, Pfaff was the head field events coach at LSU from 1984-95. He coached at UTEP from 1982-84, including two seasons as the women's head coach and as an assistant with the men's team, which came on the heels as an assistant coach at Wichita State in 1981-82. Pfaff's first collegiate position came as a graduate assistant at Houston from 1979-81, where he also earned a master's of education in sport science. His first coaching position came at Carlisle Senior High in Carlisle, Ohio, from 1976-79 after he graduated from Wright State in 1976 with a degree in science education.

He and his wife, Barbara, have two children, Taylor and Seth.