Photo courtesy of UTA Athletics
UTA Athletics announced Monday that Melinda Nguyen has been named the university’s first women’s flag football head coach.
UTA made the leadership decision as it gears up for the spring of 2027, when it will introduce the 16th Division I sport to campus. UTA will be the first Division I university in the state to make the addition and the fifth Division I school in the nation.
“Hiring our first coach starts a new era not just for UTA, but for Division I sports in Texas—and we intend to set the standard,” UTA President Jennifer Cowley said in a UTA press release. “Melinda is smart, competitive, and ready to build something special here.”
Nguyen comes from Kansas Wesleyan University, where she became the program’s second head coach in 2022. Over the past three seasons, she compiled a 49-17 overall record and a 27-5 conference record.
Nguyen also served as offensive coordinator for the Philippines Women’s National Team and as an assistant coach for the U.S. 15U Junior National Team, which won a silver medal at the 2025 Junior International Cup.
“I’m extremely excited for this role,” Nguyen said in a press release. “This is an opportunity to make history in a sport that I’m very passionate about. UTA was the right fit for me because our visions aligned. Everything I had dreamed of as a child is now becoming reality and UTA was able to share that reality with me.”
Ahead of her time as a coach, she served as the offensive coordinator for Team America as part of the Women’s Flag Football Network, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting, supporting and unifying women’s flag football globally.
Nguyen also spent time as a performance trainer for X-Factor Athletics, a nonprofit with a goal to provide healthy alternatives through mentorship. While serving as a trainer, she worked with a wide range of athletes, from recreational players through the professional and international ranks, according to the press release.
“We couldn’t be more excited to have Melinda lead our program and usher in the era of flag football at the collegiate level in Arlington,” UTA Athletics director Jon Fagg said in a press release. “She brings a fantastic track record of success to our program and her energy and passion for the sport was unmatched during our process.”
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