LA JOLLA, Calif.—After conducting a national search, UC San Diego Director of Athletics Earl W. Edwards has named Melanie Greene the new women's volleyball head coach. She becomes the seventh head coach in UC San Diego women's volleyball history.
 
"I would like to thank Athletic Director Earl W. Edwards and Sport Administrator Caitlin Luquet for entrusting me to lead the UC San Diego women's volleyball program," said Greene. "Hard work, discipline, and enthusiasm will be the foundation of this program. These are not only amazing athletes but also women of character. I am honored and thrilled to hit the ground running and get to work."
 
A native of San Diego, Greene brings a wealth of Division I experience, most recently as associate head coach at San Diego State. She was involved in the Aztecs' program—both as a coach and as a scholar-athlete—since 2004.
 
"We are extremely excited to welcome Melanie Greene to the Triton Family," said Edwards. "She brings nearly two decades of Division I coaching experience to our program, and has a proven track record of recruiting success, particularly in Southern California, with her connections in and around the sport. Melanie's focus on developing the entire scholar-athlete, from court to classroom, will help elevate our program in this new era of Triton Athletics."
 
Greene was elevated to associate head coach in January of 2024 after 13 seasons as an assistant coach for the Aztecs. She joined the staff full time in 2011 after a three-year stint as a volunteer assistant with the program from 2007 to 2010.
 
During her time at SDSU, Greene served as recruiting coordinator for the Aztecs as well as camp director and coordinator. The Aztecs have boasted 19 All-Mountain West selections, three all-region honorees and three all-Americans during Greene's tenure with the program. Additionally, 24 scholar-athletes were recognized on the academic all-conference teams, three earned all-district honors and one was named to the academic all-America team. 
 
In addition to her experience with the Aztecs, Greene served as co-head coach at the Mountain West Global Challenge where her team took home the 2023 championship. She has also spent time coaching youth teams at Club Pacific locally in San Diego.
 
A three-year letterwinner for the Aztecs, Greene came to San Diego State in 2004 after two years at Washington State where she redshirted during her freshman year. A three-year starter as an outside hitter, she averaged 3.46 kills and 2.73 digs per set while leading the team in kills and finishing among the top three in digs each season.
 
Over her final two seasons at San Diego State, Greene was named to the all-tournament team at four events including MVP honors at the 2006 Mutual Medical Cleveland State Invitational. During her senior season as team co-captain and MVP, she ranked fourth in the Mountain West in kill average (3.68 per game), recorded 12 double-doubles (kills-digs) and concluded her career ranked 13th in that category. 
 
Born in San Diego while her father, Ken Greene, was a member of the San Diego Chargers, Melanie later moved to Nampa, Idaho, where she attended Nampa Christian High School. As a prep athlete she won a total of 12 varsity letters in volleyball, basketball and track and field, earning all-state honors in all three sports.
 
Greene graduated from San Diego State in 2007 with a bachelor's degree in recreation administration. She completed her master's degree in leadership and organizational studies at Azusa Pacific in 2010.
 
About UC San Diego Athletics
After two decades as one of the most successful programs in NCAA Division II, the UC San Diego intercollegiate athletics program began a new era in 2020 as a member of The Big West Conference in NCAA Division I. The 23-sport Tritons earned 30 team and nearly 150 individual national championships during its time in Divisions II and III and helped guide 1,400 scholar-athletes to All-America honors. A total of 83 Tritons have earned Academic All-America honors, while 38 have garnered prestigious NCAA Post Graduate Scholarships. UC San Diego scholar-athletes exemplify the academic ideals of one of the world's preeminent institutions, graduating at an average rate of 91 percent, one of the highest rates among institutions at all divisions.