Bio

A former swimmer from the Chargers from 2012 to 2016, Alissa (Jones) Lufkin returned to the program as head coach Kurt Kirner's lead assistant in the summer of 2022, looking to help mentor the next generation of elite Chargers competitors in the pool.

During her time at Hillsdale, Lufkin swam the backstroke and in sprint freestyle races, contributing in all four years for the Chargers. Jones was a part of placing 200 freestyle relays at both the 2014 and 2015 GLIAC Championships for the Chargers, and also ran track and field at Hillsdale, competing in both the discus throw and the javelin for Hillsdale.

While she was competing for Hillsdale, Lufkin got her start in coaching, beginning as a stroke instructor from 2014 to 2019 at the University of Michigan Swim Camps during the summer. After graduating from Hillsdale with a Bachelor's Degree in Physical Education in 2016, Lufkin became a P.E. teacher at the Benjamin Franklin Charter School in Queen Creek, Arizona while pursuing her Master's Degree in Special Education from the University of Arizona in 2018. Master's Degree in hand, Lufkin moved to Virginia and got her first full-fledged coaching job in 2018, becoming the head varsity coach for the boys and girls high school swim team at the Thomas Jefferson Science and Technology High School.

In 2020, Lufkin returned to Michigan, and rejoined the Hillsdale College swim program as a volunteer assistant in 2020, before stepping into a full-time role with the Chargers in 2022. 

Lufkin is one of a line of family members to participate in athletics for the Chargers, beginning with her older brother Ben Jones, who played football at Hillsdale from 2009 to 2013, as well as her younger brother, Nate, who also played football for the Chargers from 2016 to 2019.

Alissa is married to former Hillsdale College football player and coach Colby Lufkin, and together they have two kids, George and Eric.