Bronx, N.Y. – Fordham director of athletics Ed Kull announced today that head softball coach Melissa Inouye has signed a multi-year contract extension through the 2025 season.
 
"Coach Inouye came to Fordham with a passion for further advancing the momentum of our elite softball program," Ed Kull said. "We believe she is the right leader to take the program to the next level and our alumni and fans are excited about the future of Fordham Softball."
 
Inouye, who is entering her fourth year as the Rams head coach, led Fordham to a seventh consecutive Atlantic 10 championship and NCAA Regional appearance in her first season in 2019, earning Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year honors in the process. Her second campaign was unfortunately cut short after 20 games due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but the 2021 season was another stellar year for the program - a 37-10 overall record and 17-3 league record to earn the #2 seed at last May's A-10 Championship. Though the Rams fell to eventual champion, George Washington, Fordham saw six student-athletes garner All-Conference accolades - led by Devon Miller as the eighth Rookie of the Year in program history - and four earn NFCA All-Region Third Team honors, plus one CoSIDA Academic All-District honoree in Brianna Pinto. 

An assistant coach under former head coach Bridget Orchard, Inouye enjoyed a banner year during her first campaign in charge as the Rams finished with a 29-26 overall record, 16-6 in league play, and a seventh consecutive, and eighth overall, A-10 title, plus a sixth regular season championship, as well. In addition to Inouye's Coach of the Year accolade, junior Madie Aughinbaugh was named the league's Pitcher of the Year and the A-10 Championship's Most Outstanding Player for a second consecutive year, plus First Team All-Conference and NFCA Third Team All-Region honors.