University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Inouye and Mork Join Softball Coaching Staff
8/16/2007 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Aug. 16, 2007
HATTIESBURG, Miss. - Southern Miss Softball Head Coach Howard Dobson announced the hiring of Melissa Inouye and Justin Mork as assistant coaches for the Golden Eagle softball program.
Inouye comes to Southern Miss after a three-year stint 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. In addition to her softball duties, she is currenlty pursuing a master's degree in sports leadership.
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.
"Melissa has a wealth of experience as far as having coached in the south, conducting fundraising and working with pitching and the outfield," Dobson said. "She helped build programs at Northwestern State and Kentucky, and that kind of experience will help us turn the corner and get us where we need to be. We're looking forward to having her work with the pitchers and having her own pitching staff that she can work with day-in and day-out. She's a tireless worker and loves to get in and get her hands dirty."
Mork joins the Southern Miss coaching staff after working with Dobson for three years at the University of Oklahoma. He operated as the assistant hitting and pitching coach, threw batting practice and managed game footage. He also was appointed as the equipment manager for the softball and baseball teams.
A native of Garland, Texas, Mork served as the assistant coach of the Texas Glory 18 Softball Club and the Texas Pride 16-under team and was the Head Coach of the Texas Glory 16-under team.
Mork is a 2007 graduate of Oklahoma, receiving a bachelor's degree in sociology with an emphasis in criminology.
"Justin is an up-and-coming, talented and intelligent young coach," Dobson noted. "He doesn't have a wealth of experience, but what he lacks in experience he makes up for in enthusiasm. He was with me at the University of Oklahoma for three years, and he's handled everything from bullpens to batting practice for us. We're looking forward to having someone on staff who knows me as a person, and I'm happy to bring someone in who I'm comfortable with and who I can depend on day-in and day-out. I never have to tell him what to do; he's always one step ahead of me. That definitely helps out this program."
