Coaching Staff

Melanie Carter | Assistant Coach

Melanie Carter is in her 12th season with the Chargers, serving for 10 years as the assistant coach before being promoted to the team's associate head coach in November of 2020.

She returned home to join the Charger softball staff in the summer of 2010. Carter, who was a four-time All-American during her playing days in Huntsville, came back to the Rocket City after a successful stint as head coach at Shorter in Rome, Georgia.

At Shorter in the span of just four years, she took over a young program and turned it into a national powerhouse. She compiled 195 wins at Shorter, and guided the team to its first-ever berth in the Elite Eight in 2010. She was named the Southern States Athletic Conference and Region XIII Coach of the Year in her rookie season with the Lady Hawks in 2007, a season that began a run of three straight SSAC titles - a regular season championship in 2007, both the regular season and tournament titles in 2008 and a tournament crown in 2009.

In Carter’s four seasons with the Lady Hawks, her teams made four consecutive appearances in the NAIA Softball National Championship, including a program-best fifth place finish in 2010. Shorter compiled three 50-win seasons under Carter’s leadership - the only 50-win seasons in program history - including a school-record 51 victories in 2010.

Her teams at Shorter featured seven NFCA NAIA All-Americans, nine all-Region XIII honorees, and 17 SSAC all-conference selections, and Carter's student-athletes also excelled in the classroom as she had 15 players earn all-academic achievements.

During her collegiate career at UAH, Carter was a four-year starter, a four-time NFCA All-American and a four-time first team All-South Region selection. In 2001, Carter led the Chargers to an appearance in the NCAA Division II College World Series.

Carter graduated from UAH as the holder of several career records including at-bats (795), runs (231), doubles (65), total bases (519) and RBI (233). Her career runs, RBI and doubles marks also stand as Gulf South Conference records. She was a four-time first team All-GSC selection, a member of three GSC championship teams, selected as the GSC East Division Freshman of the Year in 2000 and was a four-time GSC All-Tournament choice. In the summer of 2010, Carter was selected as a member of the GSC All-Decade first team.

Additionally, Carter has been enshrined in to the GSC Hall of Fame and is a member of the inaugural class of the UAH Athletics Hall of Fame.

A native of Fayetteville, Tenn., Carter graduated from UAH in December 2003 with a degree in Biology with an emphasis in Exercise Physiology and holds a M.A.T. in Physical Education from West Alabama. She is a member of the National Fastpitch Coaches Association.