A familiar face has returned to the Loyola Wolf Pack swimming programs this fall, but in a different capacity. Melanie Dunnuck, who was a student-athlete at Loyola from 2020-22, joined head coach Thomas Natal's staff as a graduate assistant.  

"I'm excited to have Melanie coming back to the Wolf Pack as a coach this year," Natal said. "She was a vital part of the women's team's success while she was a swimmer, and I am looking forward to her being a part of our success as a coach moving forward."

Dunnuck graduated from Loyola in 2022 after transferring to the school in 2020. She spent the last year working in finance but now she's back coaching the Wolf Pack men's and women's programs while working on a mental health counseling graduate degree. She'll be coaching on deck, working with the sprint and distance groups, helping with recruiting, and making travel arrangements as part of her duties. 
 

"I loved this program, the team, the school, and I felt like coming back here was even more exciting having only been here less than two years," Dunnuck said. "So feeling like I get to go back to this place that I learned so much from, that gave so much to me, and being able to give back and contribute in a new way is really exciting."
 

This is the first time Dunnuck is coaching a collegiate program, but the South Lyon, Michigan native spent a couple of summers coaching her former club team back home, South Lyon Aquatics. There, she worked with swimmers in their dryland activities, like stretches and workouts, while also working with swimming techniques with all ages of club swimmers from 10 & under groups up to college.
 

After graduating and moving to Arizona for a job, Dunnuck found herself wanting to coach more. She reached out to Natal when she saw the opening, and Natal thought she'd be a great fit for the program.
 

"Melanie's knowledge of swimming and desire to help student-athletes grow as individuals were key in her interview," Natal said. "She expressed not only the desire to help them in the pool but also to help them grow as students and individuals during their time at Loyola."
 

At Loyola, Dunnuck swam the freestyle and breaststroke events throughout her career, and she competed at two NAIA National Championships in 2020 and 2022.