Iona University Athletics

Melissa Inouye is entering her seventh season as the head softball coach after joining the Gaels in July 2012.  Prior to coming to New Rochelle, Inouye spent time as assistant coach at nearby Fordham University.

In 2018 she led the Maroon & Gold to a fourth place finish in the MAAC with a 19-27, 11-9 conference record. At the conclusion of the season, she had sophomores Marnie Skinner and Jasmine Temple, along with senior Tori Danner, named to the All-MAAC Second Team.

In 2017 the Gaels won the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Regular Season Championship with a 15-5 league record.  Surpassing all expectations, Inouye was honored with her second career MAAC Coach of the Year award.

The Maroon & Gold made history in Inouye's fifth season when they won the program's first ever national postseason game against Campbell in the inaugural National Invitational Softball Championship (NISC).

The Gaels had two student-athletes win major awards in 2017.   Alana Evans took home MAAC Pitcher of the Year while battery-mate Tori Danner was named the MAAC Defensive Player of the Year.

After taking over a program that dealt with the graduation of five starters, and pitching staff that returned less than 10 career innings pitched, the Gaels placed fourth in the MAAC with a mark of 9-7 in Inouye's first season.  Inouye helped then-freshman Sarah Schutz deliver one of the most productive freshman seasons in program history, as the rookie hit .300 with seven home runs and 25 runs batted in.  Then-sophomore Allison Hand raised her batting average nearly 60 points and drove in a team best 31 runs.

In 2014, Inouye led the Gaels to their sixth MAAC Championship in program history with a 8-0 five inning defeat of Manhattan in the championship round.  Named the MAAC Coach of the Year, Inouye took an Iona squad picked sixth in the Preseason Coaches Poll to a third place regular season finish and a program record 14 league wins.

Over her six year stretch, the Gaels have had 57 honorees on the MAAC All-Academic Team.

At Fordham, Inouye helped coach a team that finished second in the competitive Atlantic 10 Conference and whose season included an upset win over the eventual national champion Alabama Crimson Tide.

Inouye assisted in hitting breakdown and drill progression to increase the team's offensive production.  A season ago, the Rams led the A-10 in numerous offensive categories, including hits and home runs, and second in doubles, walks and strikeouts against.  At Fordham, Inouye created and directed the team's booster club and served as the head travel coordinator.

Prior to joining the staff at Fordham, she spent four seasons on the staff at Southern Mississippi.  At Southern Miss, she oversaw the pitching staff and assisted with the defense and hitting. She had three players earn All-Conference USA accolades and one chosen for the Conference USA All-Freshman team.

Prior to her stint at Southern Miss, Inouye spent three years as an assistant coach at Kentucky. In Lexington, she held down a myriad of responsibilities including recruiting coordinator, outfield coach, compliance liaison, co-director of camps and director of the squad's booster club. Prior to working at Kentucky, she spent time as an assistant coach at Northwestern State (Natchitoches, LA) and served as a volunteer coach at her Alma Mater, UNLV.

She was a two-year starter at UNLV, playing first base and catcher, and was named team captain. She was a three-time Academic All-Mountain West Conference team selection, a seven-time UNLV Dean's List honoree and received the Coaches Award her senior year.

She earned bachelor's degrees in recreation and leisure studies and in fitness management in 2002 and a master's in sports leadership from Kentucky in 2007.