Russia's deputy prime minister in charge of sport has admitted that many Russian coaches have been responsible for track-and-field athletes using performance-enhancing drugs.
"Athletes broke the rules and many coaches don't understand how to work without doping and it's high time for them to retire," Vitaly Mutko told state news agency R-Sport on February 7.
The International Association of Athletics Foundations (IAAF) banned Russia from international competition in November 2015 after an investigation by the independent World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) concluded the Russian government was behind a widespread doping scheme.
On February 6, the IAAF said Russia was unlikely to be granted "full reinstatement" before November.
Russia has conceded that some of its athletes cheated but denies the existence of a state-sponsored doping program.