Coach Tony Bednarsky Earns 600th Win, Cementing Legacy of GSB Soccer Excellence 

By Neel Singh ’27 

On September 10, 2025, the Gill St. Bernard’s Knights steamrolled the Watchung Hills Warriors in a crushing 6-1 victory. This historic win marked the 600th in Coach Tony Bednarsky’s career as head coach of the GSB Boys’ Varsity Soccer team. This milestone solidified Coach Bednarsky as one of the winningest coaches in the history of New Jersey boys’ soccer, as reflected by his 2008 induction to the NJSIAA Coaches Hall of Fame. 

However, Coach Bednarsky is no stranger to such success. Coach Bednarsky has had an array of accolades since taking over GSB soccer in 1989, including 23 Skyland Conference titles, 13 Prep B championships, 9 Non-Public State championships, and 1 Somerset County title. In 2020, Coach Bednarsky’s team even finished as the #1 team in the state and the #4 team in the nation due to an undefeated season during which striker Micaah Garnette ’21 was named New Jersey Player of the Year and Coach Bednarsky was named New Jersey Coach of the Year. 

In addition to Garnette, who is currently playing NCAA Division One soccer at the University of Portland, another notable former player of Coach Bednarsky’s is his son, former Lehigh University standout midfielder and First Team All-Patriot League selection Stevo Bednarsky ’16. Stevo was a core member of several of his father’s championship teams, scoring 26 goals and passing for an impressive 53 assists in his four-year career at GSB. 

However, Stevo and his father are just half of the storied soccer family that is the Bednarskys; the other half being Coach Tony’s wife, GSB Girls’ Varsity Soccer Head Coach Donna Bednarsky and their daughter, former TCNJ midfielder Kathryn Bednarsky ’14. Kathryn was a prominent midfielder for the Lady Knights for four seasons, accumulating a remarkable 45 goals and 42 assists in her career. Coach Donna herself was an All-American soccer player and played four years of NCAA Division One soccer at UConn. Coach Donna coached the Lady Knights from 1994 to 1999 and resumed the role in 2022, accumulating over 100 wins in her own right as a coach, including 3 conference titles and 3 Prep B championships. 

It’s no secret that soccer runs in the Bednarsky family, and this influence has taken over the entirety of the GSB Soccer program with  Coach Tony and Coach Donna being the driving forces. However, over the past five years, former player and current assistant coach Tim Dibisceglie ‘13 has been instrumental in supporting the program, and he had this to say about what it was like to go from playing for Coach Tony to coaching alongside him: 

“As a player, I was able to learn so much about the game. I was forced to grow up quick and develop a tougher, quicker play style as a freshman, and winning our first state title as a freshman was one of the highlights of my high school career. Coach Bednarsky built a great culture with a real family feel, which nurtured bonds with my teammates that still last today. Transitioning into a coaching role with him has also been an honor as I've been able to learn countless lessons about what it takes to be a successful high school coach. Taking what he taught me as both a player and coach and molding it into my own unique style has really helped me mature and continue to grow as a mentor for our kids.” 

On September 27, several of Coach Bednarsky’s former players came to GSB to celebrate his historic accolade at GSB’s annual Homecoming/Family Day. Following the ceremony, GSB earned their fifth victory of the season in a thrilling 3-0 win over Watchung Hills. However, despite the incredible game, the central point of the day was, of course, family, as Coach Tony’s sons, daughter, and wife were all in attendance to celebrate him.