Melissa Inouye begins her second season at Southern Miss. While overseeing the team's pitching, Inouye helped guide a staff last season that increased its strikeouts by 60 batters, while dropping the team's earned run average over a run per game.

Prior to coming to Southern Miss, Inouye spent three seasons as the assistant coach at the University of Kentucky. While in Lexington, she served as the team's recruiting coordinator, outfield coach, compliance liaison, co-director of camps and director of the Blue Diamond Backer Softball Booster Club, while also assisting with the pitching and catching staff.

Inouye completed her master's degree in kinesology and health promotions.

Before heading to Kentucky, Inouye served as the assistant coach at Northwestern State University (Natchitoches, La.) and the volunteer assistant coach at UNLV (Las Vegas, Nev.).

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. Inouye received a bachelor's degree in recreation and leisure studies, as well as in fitness management.

"She does so much for our program," said Dobson. "She has been a great person for our team to lean on from time to time. She always has very good advice for the kids, not only on the field but off it as well. You can tell by the numbers of our pitching staff how much they have improved, not just numbers-wide, but mentally too. There are much more focused."