Career Coaches

Mike Bender

Year Inducted: 2015

Category: Career Coaches

Schools / Organizations: Witt Junior High School
Pana High School
Meridian Middle School
Tower Hill Middle School

Biography: Mike coached 39 years at a variety of levels at Witt, Tower Hill, Pana and Meridian. He was the varsity assistant coach
at Pana on the Panthers’ 1988 Class A boys state championship team.  Mike guided Pana’s 1990 junior varsity to a season with only one loss that came by one point in overtime. At Meridian Middle School, he had three consecutive teams with undefeated regular season records on the way to state tournament appearances.