Head soccer coach Jaime Frias announced April 2, 2008 the hiring of Melissa Price as an assistant soccer coach with the University of Nevada soccer team.
Price has served as an assistant women’s soccer coach at the University of Virginia, the University of Illinois and most recently at the University of Miami. She has assisted in leading her teams to a total of four NCAA Tournament appearances.
Price served as an assistant coach at the University of Miami from 2002-2004. While working with the Hurricanes, she served as the recruiting coordinator. She was also involved in the planning and conducting of team training sessions, goalkeeper coaching, requesting scouting reports and directing summer soccer camps.
Prior to the University of Miami, Price worked as an assistant women’s soccer coach at the University of Illinois from 1999-2002 where her responsibilities included recruiting, coordinating team travel, planning and coaching training sessions for field players and goalkeepers as well as directing summer soccer camps. The Illini made two NCAA Tournament appearances in 2000 and 2001 and also reached the championship round of the Big 10 Tournament in 2001.
She spent two seasons, 1997-1999, as an assistant coach at the University of Virginia where she assisted with training sessions and coaching goalkeepers. She also directed the summer soccer camps. The team qualified for the NCAA Tournament in 1997 and 1998.
“We’re excited to have someone of Missy’s expertise join our Wolf Pack soccer family. She’s known for being one of the top goalkeeping coaches in Region I,” Frias said. “Missy has developed some of the best goalkeepers in the U.S. and Canada and we look forward to her developing our Nevada goalkeepers into some of the best in our region. What set Missy apart from all other candidates that applied for this position is her sports psychology background. Our team will benefit greatly from the mental training Missy will bring to our program.”
Price, who is currently finishing her Doctorate in Sport and Exercise Psychology at the University of Virginia, has conducted numerous coaching presentations for several soccer teams, graduate students and conferences. She has also been a part of several academic presentations and has had her work published in The Sports Psychologist and The Encyclopedia of Sports Medicine.
“I’m thrilled to be working for Jaime and the University of Nevada. Making the decision to join the program was easy because Jaime is a fantastic head coach and the athletic department is tremendously supportive,” Price said. “I’m anxious to begin working with the players and getting to know them better - I think we have a terrific future ahead of us. I’d like to thank everyone involved in the hiring process and I look forward to becoming part of the Wolf Pack community.”
In addition to her collegiate coaching experience, Price has also spent time coaching with the U.S. Youth Soccer Association ODP Program (East Region), the Soccer Organization of Charlottesville-Albermarle, the East Tennessee Soccer Federation and the Illinois Youth Soccer Association. She has also spent 14 years coaching several summer soccer camps including the Virginia Soccer Centers for Excellence, the University of Maryland Soccer Camps, the April Heinrichs Soccer School and the Soccer Academy.
Price played collegiately for the University of Maryland from 1993-1997. As a goalkeeper, she led her team to two NCAA quarterfinal appearances and was named to the Mid-Atlantic All-Region Team, the Athletic Director’s Honor Roll and the Student-Advisory Council.
She is a member of several professional organizations including the United States Soccer Coaches Association, the National Soccer Coaches Association of America, the Association for the Advanced Placement of Applied Sport Psychology and the North American Society for the Psychology of Sport and Physical Activity.
She has also taken part in the Women in Coaching Summit held in Chula Vista, Calif., in 2003. Former U.S. national team coach April Heinrichs organized the invitation only summit to foster a collective environment for the education and mentoring of female coaches. Topics included skill development, fitness, media and social pressure.
Price, who holds a United States Soccer Association “A” coaching license, graduated from the University of Maryland in 1997 with a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology. She earned her master’s degree in sport and exercise psychology from the University of Virginia in 1999.
