UTA hires first flag football head coach
Bringing a wealth of experience and high-level success, Melinda Nguyen has been named the first-ever head coach of The University of Texas at Arlington’s women’s flag football program, Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Jon Fagg announced Monday.
“We’re not tiptoeing into women’s flag football—we’re sprinting,” UT Arlington President Jennifer Cowley said. “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. Melinda is smart, competitive, and ready to build something special here. Buck ‘em!”
Nguyen joins UTA after three seasons as the head coach at Kansas Wesleyan, where she went 49-17 (and 27-5 against Kansas Conference opponents) with the Coyotes, reaching the NAIA Flag Football Finals in all three seasons. In addition to her time at KWU, Nguyen has also been the Offensive Coordinator for the Philippines Women’s National Team and the Assistant Coach for the US 15U Junior National Team that won a silver medal in the 2025 Junior International Cup that was hosted by USA Football and the International Federation of American Football (IFAF).
Video: New UTA women’s flag football coach Melinda Nguyen
“This is a monumental moment here at UTA,” Fagg said of the historic hire. “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. She brings a fantastic track record of success to our program and her energy and passion for the sport was unmatched during our process. I can’t wait to see her build this program and for us to take the field in the spring of 2027.”
During the spring season in 2025, Nguyen led the Coyotes to a 15-6 (8-2 KCAC) mark and made the program’s first-ever appearance in the NAIA Flag Football Finals A Bracket, where they fell ultimately in the Quarterfinals.
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The 2024 team was the most successful in school history, going 19-4 (11-2 KCAC) and was the first conference team to defeat Ottawa. Nguyen was named KCAC Coach of the Year.
Nguyen guided Kansas Wesleyan to a 15-7 record (8-1 KCAC) during her first season in 2023, the program’s third year of existence.
Prior to her time at Kansas Wesleyan, Nguyen carried extensive experience in flag football. She served as the offensive coordinator for Team America as part of the Women’s Flag Football Network, working with some of the top players in the United States and participated in tournaments worldwide. She also worked as a performance trainer for X-Factor Athletics, where she trained athletes on skills focused on flag football fundamentals and advanced skills. X-Factor Athletics trains a wide range of athletes ranging from recreational player through the professional and international ranks.
“I’m extremely excited for this role,” Nguyen said. “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. Brainstorming with President Cowley, Jon and the rest of the administration – it was just really nice to see everyone on the same page and wanting to share that same vision of what flag football could be, what it will be, how big it could be, how exciting it is and sharing that with the world really has made UTA the best fit for me.”
Nguyen has been involved in football since the age of seven. She was the head coach and quarterback of two club football teams at the University of Maryland and helped lead them to nine total championships spanning six years.
Nguyen holds a bachelor’s degree in English Language and Literature from the University of Maryland and a Certificate in Teaching English as a Second Language from Trinity College.
Dr. Cowley officially announced the addition of women’s flag football as a varsity sport back in May, and Nguyen and the Mavericks will begin competition in Spring 2027.
UTA’s flag football program will play its games at Maverick Stadium and recruiting efforts are underway for Nguyen’s initial roster.
About The University of Texas at Arlington (UTA)
Celebrating its 130th anniversary in 2025, The University of Texas at Arlington is a growing public research university in the heart of the thriving Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. With a student body of over 42,700, UTA is the second-largest institution in the University of Texas System, offering more than 180 undergraduate and graduate degree programs. Recognized as a Carnegie R-1 university, UTA stands among the nation’s top 5% of institutions for research activity. UTA and its 280,000 alumni generate an annual economic impact of $28.8 billion for the state. The University has received the Innovation and Economic Prosperity designation from the Association of Public and Land Grant Universities and has earned recognition for its focus on student access and success, considered key drivers to economic growth and social progress for North Texas and beyond.