Bodie Bender named New Mishawaka Basketball Coach

Mishawaka High School is proud to announce that Bodie Bender will be the next varsity boys basketball coach for the Cavemen. Bender replaces Ron Hecklinski who retired from coaching at the end of the season. Bender grew up in the area and played sports at Jimtown High School. A proud Ball State Alum, Bender has held jobs in education at Jimtown, Tippecanoe Valley, Manchester, Elkhart and Carroll (Flora). He has an undergraduate degree in Physical Education/Health and a Masters in Technology Education. A proven winner, Bender’s teams have gone 66-29 the past 4 years. This past year his Cougars were 24-2 and won the first Regional in school history. On their tournament run, his boys knocked off the #1 team in Class 2A on their way to the Final 4. Carroll finished 8th in the state in “Margin of Victory” in the 2021-22 season as they won the Hoosier Heartland Conference Championship. The Cougars were also ranked in the Top 50 defensively in the state of Indiana. In his 9 years prior to leading the Carroll program, Bender learned from coaches Randy DeShone, Bill Patrick, Eric Thompson and Derrick DeShone. During his interview he talked about being a great asset to the community and a positive role model for the Mishawaka players and students at MHS. Bender is married to wife Franki and they have an 8 month old baby girl, Laney.