Mike Bukovsky started his wrestling career at Eisenhower Junior High School wrestling for Hall of Famer Joe Pedersen. Mike moved on to Montini Catholic High School and continued his wrestling career under another Hall of Famer, Jim Izzo. Mike was a three-year varsity starter and two-time conference champion and was also voted team captain and most valuable wrestler his senior year. He also played football for Montini’s first-ever state playoff qualifying football teams in 1981 and 1982, while earning All-Conference, All-Area and honorable mention All-State recognition. 

 When an injury ended his college wrestling career after two years at North Central College, Mike began helping out with the Montini wrestling team and began his coaching career in 1985. After nine years as the sophomore coach, Mike assumed the reins of the varsity program in 1995, a position he held for 16 years until 2010. All told, he coached wrestling for 25 years at Montini.

As the Head Wrestling Coach, Mike led his teams to 460 dual meet wins while losing only 39, a career 92 percent winning mark. His squads won 15 IHSA Regional Championships and qualified for the Dual Team State Tournament 13 times. Those teams won 11 Dual Team State Trophies, including eight IHSA Dual Team State Championships. Mike’s teams included 140 state qualifiers, 81 state place winners and 32 IHSA Individual State Champions. Mike has also coached three IHSA Individual four-time State Champions. 

Several of his teams were nationally ranked, including the 2007 team ranked fifth in the nation by Amateur Wrestling News Magazine. Mike was recognized three times as IWCOA “Coach of the Year” and selected as the National High School Athletic Coaches Association’s “National Coach of the Year” in 2009. He was inducted into the IWCOA Hall of Fame in 2008, received the IWCOA “Man of the Year” award in 2010 and served as a Grand Marshall at the 2017 IHSA State Wrestling Finals. 

Mike has been a member of the IWCOA Executive Board since 1999, serving as the chairman of the Classic Dual Committee and emcee of the All-State Banquet, among various other duties. He served as the IWCOA President in 2008 and 2009 and has been a member of the IWCOA Hall of Fame selection committee since 2008. Mike has also promoted wrestling by working as a color analyst and broadcaster for the IHSA and IKWF State Finals and numerous other wrestling events over the years. 

At present, Mike is the Head Football Coach at Montini and is currently in his 33rd season coaching in the football program, being a part of six State Championship Teams. Mike also coached in the girls softball program for eight years, and in his five years as head coach, won two state titles. While coaching wrestling, football and softball at Montini for 37 years, Mike has been a part of 16 state championship teams.