Bio

Melissa 'Missy' Price, Ph.D. was named Head Soccer Coach and PERA Assistant Professor of the Practice at Wellesley College in 2016. She helped lead the Blue to a NEWMAC postseason appearance in each of her first two seasons. In addition to coaching the Blue soccer program, Price leads the department’s coaching development programming and teaches ‘Couch to 5K’ within the Physical Education curriculum.

In addition to her duties at Wellesley, Price was elected to the United Soccer Coaches (Formerly NSCAA) Board of Directors in the Spring of 2017. She served as Secretary of the organization for her first year and is the current Vice President and will ascend to President in 2021 before finishing her term as the organizations Past President for one year. Price also serves on the Coaches Council of the Alliance of Women Coaches. 

Price came to Wellesley following six seasons as the Head Women’s Soccer Coach at the University of Nevada. While at Nevada, Price was responsible for all aspects of the Division I program, guiding the Wolf Pack to the Mountain West Conference semifinals in 2012. Off the field, over 50 Nevada student-athletes earned academic all-conference recognition during Price’s tenure with the program.

Price, who holds a NSCAA Premier Diploma and a United States Soccer Federation ‘A’ coaching license, earned her Doctorate of Philosophy in Education in Sport Psychology, with a specialization in leadership and life skill development from the University of Virginia (UVA) in 2010. A 1997 graduate of the University of Maryland with a degree in kinesiology, Price also earned a master's degree in sport and exercise psychology from UVA in 1999. Price played collegiately as a goalkeeper at Maryland from 1993-1997, leading the Terrapins to two NCAA quarterfinal appearances.

Price, who spent two years as an assistant coach at Nevada prior to taking over the head coaching position in 2010, has also worked as an assistant women's soccer coach and goalkeeper coach at the University of Miami, the University of Illinois and the University of Virginia. She made four trips to the NCAA Division I tournament as an assistant, including two at Virginia (1997, 1998) and two at Illinois (2000, 2001). At Miami, she served as the program’s recruiting coordinator.

A veteran coach and instructor, Price has been a member of the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) since 2000, where she serves as the Chair of the Women’s Membership Group, as well as sitting on the Soccer Journal Editorial Board, and working for the NSCAA’s Academy and Goalkeeping Instructional Staff. She has been a member of the Alliance of Women Coaches since 2013 and she is a NCAA Women Coaches Academy Graduate, where her peers honored her as the Judy Sweet Award winner.

Price has conducted various leadership, sport psychology and life skills presentations, programs and workshops, most recently speaking to the Elite Clubs National League (ECNL) Player Development Program (PDP) on the importance of being a good teammate in Las Vegas in 2016. She has also given presentations at NSCAA Coaching Courses, the Pioneer Coaches Symposium in Seattle, Wash. and to the women's lacrosse team at Loyola University and the women’s soccer team and coaches at Stephen F. Austin University.

Price has also authored and co-authored work on leadership and life skills that has been published in academic journals, including: The Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, The Encyclopedia of Sports Medicine and The Sport Psychologist. Price had also served as a reviewer for The Sport Psychologist, the International Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology and The Journal of Applied Sport Psychology since 2010. She has also authored numerous academic professional presentations on leadership and life skills.