Melissa Franks enters her third season as the head coach of the women’s soccer program in 2023.

The Pride went 5-7-6 (3-2-2 MAC) in 2023. Widener would claim the third seed in the MAC playoffs, but they would fall to the York Spartans 2-0 in the MAC Semifinals.

Over her first two seasons, Franks has led the Pride to a 17-13-5 record. In her first season with Widener, Franks guided the Pride to an 8-6-1 record to notch their fourth straight year with a .500 or better record. Franks also coached two All-MAC Commonwealth players, one Rookie of the Year and one United Soccer Coaches D-III All-Region 5 player. Franks also saw 17 of her student-athletes earn a spot on the MAC Academic Honor Roll after they each posted a 3.2 GPA or above in the fall semester.

Before arriving in Chester, Franks spent three years as an assistant women’s soccer coach at Stevens Institute of Technology, where she was primarily responsible for recruiting, scouting, and managing the daily operations of the program. Under her tenure, the Ducks compiled a 33-7-1 record through two seasons, capturing a pair of conference titles and advancing in the NCAA Tournament during both years. 

Franks' ability to recruit and develop players has been a hallmark of her career so far. While at Stevens, she helped coach 12 All-Conference players and was a part of two conference coaching staffs of the year. She has also previously worked as a coach and trainer for players ranging in age from 5-17 through a number of clinics, club teams, and camps. 

Prior to joining Stevens, Franks was an assistant at Moravian University, where she was heavily involved in recruiting and technical skill development and served as a member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. While there, she helped the Greyhounds to a 19-13-2 record and an appearance in the 2016 Landmark Conference Championship. 

Franks opened her collegiate coaching career in 2015 at her alma mater Montclair State University and guided the Red Hawks to their fourth straight NCAA Tournament appearance. 

As a player at Montclair State, Franks was named Second Team All-American, NJAC Midfielder of the Year, and a two-time First Team All-Conference honoree. She led her teams to an impressive 68-8-8 record and three consecutive NCAA Tournament berths. 

The Hamilton, N.J. native earned her B.S. in Physical Education and Health from Montclair State in 2016 and her Master of Education from Moravian in 2018.