A career in sports has been a life-long dream for Athletic Director Rick Perez. His passion for sports was first inspired by his dad and uncle while growing up in Southeast Houston. Pairing his love of sports and interest in education, he went on to earn his degree in physical education from the University of Houston and M.Ed in secondary education from Grand Canyon University. Although he never played in college, he dedicated his spare time to coaching middle school football, basketball, and baseball.

Rick has come a long way since he got his start at IWA as a physical education teacher back in 2001. Over the past seventeen years, he has served as head basketball coach and head softball coach in addition to teaching various physical education classes and other athletic director responsibilities. He currently serves as the assistant softball coach but his impact goes far beyond the field. On any given day you may find him transporting teams to and from games, creating partnerships within the Houston community, leading set-up for a sports banquet, or sharing live game updates and photos on Instagram. He is truly devoted to the advancement of the athletic program.

For Coach Perez, Incarnate Word Academy has always been a family affair; both his wife and daughter are graduates of the Academy. Aside from marrying his wife and raising their three beautiful children, Rick considers winning the Jeanne de Matel award in 2017 as one of his greatest accomplishments. Jeanne de Matel award recipients exemplify excellence, dedication, and creativity within the school community—qualities that Rick tries to demonstrate in everything he does. He is motivated by the strong values and beliefs shared by IWA faculty and students. He makes an effort to continue to instill these same values in the girls while empowering them to lead successful lives after graduation regardless of whether or not their future is in sports. As a word of advice, Coach Perez encourages anyone who is interested in playing or working in sports: “If you love it, go for it.”