Lang
6/17/25
Hillcrest Academy has announced the appointment of alumnus Stephen Bender as its new head boys basketball coach.
The Wellman resident’s 23-year coaching journey began as a student assistant at Simpson College. That was followed by stints at Indianola and West Branch high schools. Most notably, Bender led the Mid-Prairie girls basketball team to a state tournament appearance in 2016.
Most recently, Bender has served as an assistant on the Hillcrest Academy boys basketball staff under longtime coach Dwight Gingerich, who was named Goshen College’s new athletic director and head men’s basketball coach last month.