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SAN FRANCISCO—The University of San Francisco women's soccer team has added to its coaching staff by bringing in former Cal State Bakersfield head coach Melissa Phillips, USF head coach Jim Millinder announced today.
 
"I'd like to thank Coach Millinder and [Associate AD Samantha Hartwell] for the opportunity and their belief in my experiences," Phillips said. "I'm really excited and fortunate to be working with Jim and [Associate Head Coach Maite Zabala]. There is the potential for major success here, they have strong leadership… I'm really just excited to be a part of it and help them move forward."
 
Phillips had coached at Cal State Bakersfield since 2009, when she started as an assistant coach, and took over the helm in 2011 at the age of 23, then the youngest coach in NCAA Division I soccer. She had a career record of 13-39-4, a win total that included a six-win season in 2012, the most in the program's Division I history.
 
After stepping down following the 2013 season, she moved to the Bay Area and coached three teams through the Palo Alto and Stanford soccer clubs.
 
"Melissa's experience as a head coach at the Division I level will be a tremendous help to the future of our program," Millinder said. "Her desire to want to be a better coach and her passion for the game is what impressed me the most. I'm very excited to have her aboard to help get this program to the next level."
 
While at Bakersfield, Phillips' teams earned the athletic departments highest GPA as well as NSCAA All-Academic team honors in each of her five seasons at the university. In 2013, five student-athletes were also named Academic All-Western Athletic Conference, which requires a 3.2 GPA and participation in at least 50 percent of the team's matches.
 
Phillips has coached the U12 and the U16 girls soccer teams with the Bakersfield Gunners and has also served as an assistant coach at Hilmar High School and with the Turlock Tornados club soccer team.


Phillips holds a USSF National B coaching license.


Prior to her arrival in Bakersfield, Phillips was a standout defender for Cal State Stanislaus. As a member of the Warriors' squad, she was selected first-team All-CCAA three times. During her senior season, she garnered Daktronics/CoSida First Team All-West Region and Adidas/NSCAA Second Team All-West Region honors.
 
Phillips also received the CCAA All-Academic Award three times while a student-athlete, maintaining a 3.5 GPA.
 
She graduated from Cal State Stanislaus in 2009 with a bachelor degree in physical education and kinesiology and completed her masters of education in curriculum and instruction at Cal State Bakersfield in 2011.
 
Phillips is from Roseville, Calif. and attended Roseville High School.