Mike Bednarz is in his second year as JJC's assistant softball coach. 

A retired physical education teacher, Bednarz brings more than 35 years of coaching experience to the Wolves. He also serves as the lead instructor in the Xfinity Kids Zone area at Guaranteed Rate Field and helps to staff corporate and special on-field events at the ballpark. He has worked for the Chicago White Sox since 2005 when he was hired to provide youth instruction for the now defunct Chicago White Sox Training Academy. 

Bednarz got his baseball coaching start at George Williams College in Downers Grove in 1985, coaching there for only one year before the campus closed in 1986. He then served as a hitting coach at North Park University for two years before being hired as the head coach at Evergreen Park High School. He coached the Mustangs from 1987 to 1991 before leaving to serve as an assistant coach at Hinsdale South High School from 1991 to 1995. He also coached high school girls’ basketball for 18 years, coaching at Evergreen Park, Oak Forest and Bremen high schools at various levels over his career. 

A native Chicagoan, Bednarz played baseball at Weber High School then Greenville College (now Greenville University) in southern Illinois. Although he spent most of his playing time in the middle infield, he finished his career as a catcher. 

Bednarz retired from Nathan Hale Middle School in Crestwood in 2020. He and his wife, Amy, live in Lockport and have three adult children.