McKendree University swimming & diving head coach Jimmy Tierney announced Wednesday that alum Jackson Lustig will join the staff as a graduate assistant coach.
“We are extremely excited to have Jack continue his tenure at McKendree,” Tierney said in the university’s press release. “He has given so much to this program as a student and athlete already, and we are thrilled to see that continue here. Jack was always a student of the sport so I have no doubt that he has much to share with the team this season. He will make a difference for us!”
Lustig graduated from McKendree in May 2025 with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication. He will be working toward his master’s in performance psychology and leadership over the next year.
He wrapped up his collegiate career at the NCAA Division II Championships in March, where he swept the butterfly events. He logged a lifetime-best 45.85 to win the 100 fly title, then posted a season-best 1:40.89 to take the 200 fly win. His victory in the 200 fly marked a third straight title in the event and narrowly missed the NCAA record of 1:40.75, which he set at the 2023 edition of the meet. The 100 fly was his first win in that event—after touching 18th in 2022, third in 2023, and sixth in 2024.
Beyond his individual wins, Lustig helped the 400 medley relay secure gold at both the 2023 and 2024 national meets, notching fly splits of 45.96 and 45.85.
“It feels great to be here as a coach, especially standing on deck with Jimmy and Noah. Every session, I make it a priority to help as many athletes as I can so they can reach their goals just like I once did. It really feels like things have come full circle. I spent my time at McKendree looking up to my coaches, and now I get the chance to be that person for the upcoming athletes. I’m honored to stay with the program and excited to see what this season has in store,” said Lustig on his appointment to the role.
The McKendree men are coming off a second-place finish at the 2025 Great Lakes Valley Conference Championships, where they collected 35.5 points behind winners Drury. The team went on to take third at Nationals, scoring 349 points to Drury’s 525 and Tampa’s 451.
On the women’s side, McKendree placed third at the GLVC Championships with 1,180.5 points, 740.5 behind runner-up UIndy, who trailed champion Drury. The McKendree women went on to finish 17th at NCAAs, where they scored 61 points.
Lustig joins a coaching staff that, outside of Tierney, includes head diving coach Donnie Torres and assistant swim coach Noah Javens.
According to the university’s website, Lustig is the program’s first graduate assistant since the 2022–23 season, when Jolynn Harris held the role.
