Fordham University Athletics

- 2019, 2022, and 2026 Atlantic 10 Champions
- 2019, 2022, and 2026 NCAA Regional appearances
- 2019 Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year

Coming off a third Atlantic 10 Championship in 2026, Melissa Inouye is the leader and head coach of the Fordham Softball program.

In eight seasons, Inouye has led the Rams to three Atlantic 10 titles, three NCAA Regional appearances, and over 200 wins, while earning Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year accolades in 2019. A former assistant to Fordham's long-time head coach Bridget Orchard in 2012, Inouye has written the next successful chapter of the Fordham Softball program, as the Rams have now won 10 Atlantic 10 Championships overall and made 11 NCAA Regional appearances.

Over her head coaching tenure at Fordham, Inouye has coached four Atlantic 10 major award winners, which included 2025 Co-Player of the Year Sydney Wells, 2026 Defensive Player of the Year Kate McGuire, 2021 Rookie of the Year Devon Miller, and 2019 Pitcher of the Year Madie Aughinbaugh.  The Rams have also had 24 All-Atlantic 10 selections, 12 Atlantic 10 All-Rookie Team picks, and 16 NFCA All-Region honorees over that time.  Among those honorees was Neleh Nogay, the Rams' all-time stolen bases leader and the first Ram ever to earn First Team All-Atlantic 10 honors four times (2023-26).

Having made the conference championship in each full season of play since 2019, the Rams have had 15 players named to the Atlantic 10 All-Championship with Aughinbaugh (2019), Bailey Enoch (2022), and Vicki Klimaszewski (2026) taking home the Championship's Most Outstanding Player award.

Fordham had also been extremely successful in the classroom under Inouye, ranking consistently among the nation's top GPAs with 13 CSC Academic All-District selections since 2019, while having 79 NFCA All-America Scholar Athletes.

Prior to her return to the Bronx, Inouye spent six years as head coach of the Iona softball program. While in charge of the Gaels, Inouye was named MAAC Coach of the Year twice, including in 2017 after leading the team to the MAAC regular season title with a 15-5 league record and the inaugural National Invitational Softball Championship (NISC), where Iona defeated Campbell for its first-ever postseason victory. Inouye also took home the MAAC's top coaching honors after leading the program to its sixth conference championship and a trip to the Seattle NCAA Regional in 2014.  In nearby New Rochelle, Inouye saw four major awards for her student-athletes, eight First Team All-Conference honorees, 11 Second Team selections, and three All-Rookie nods. Over seven seasons, 69 student-athletes earned MAAC All-Academic distinction.

Inouye previously spent one season as an assistant coach at Fordham under Bridget Orchard in 2012, working with outfielders and catchers primarily, when the team finished runners-up in the conference standings in a season that included a home win over #3 Alabama in the regular season finale, the program's best win against a nationally-ranked opponent. 

Prior to her first stint at Fordham, Inouye spent four seasons at Southern Mississippi, where she oversaw the pitching staff and assisted with the defense and hitting. Before that, she served as an assistant coach at Kentucky where she earned her Master's degree in sports leadership. In Lexington, Inouye held several responsibilities, including recruiting coordinator, outfield coach, compliance liaison, co-director of camps, and director of the booster club. Prior to that, Inouye was an assistant coach at Northwestern State and, before that, began her coaching career as a volunteer at her alma mater, UNLV.

Inouye was a two-year starter with the Rebels, playing first base and catcher, and served as a team captain. She was a three-time Academic All-Mountain West selection, a seven-time Dean's List honoree, and earned the Coaches' Award during her senior season. Inouye graduated with her Bachelor's degree in recreation and leisure studies and fitness management.