Amber Podlesny enters her fourth season as the pitching coach at Loyola University Chicago after joining the staff for the 2005 campaign. In her tenure with the Ramblers, Podlesny has helped sculpt three pitchers into All-Horizon League performers and was vital in the development of Amy Solava, a Second Team All-Mideast Region selection and the 2007 Horizon League Pitcher of the Year.

Podlesny served as the pitching coach at Lincoln-Way Central in New Lenox from 2003-04, after holding down the pitching coach and varsity assistant positions at Providence Catholic High School from 2000 -2002. A collegiate standout at DePaul from 1993-95, Podlesny led the Blue Demons to the first two NCAA Tournament appearances in the school's history in 1994 and 1995. Her pitching and hitting efforts earned her first team all-conference honors in 1993 and 1995. She remains among the top five in career games started, 86, and completed 76, in DePaul history

Working with a young Loyola staff in 2006, Podlesny saw freshman Laura DeLeon earn Horizon League All-Newcomer Team. Fellow rookie Krista Crosson became the first Loyola freshman to lead the team in both innings pitched and strikeouts since 1992. Last season, Crosson blossomed into a First Team All-Horizon League Pitcher under Podlesny's instruction, knocking almost two full runs off of her ERA from the 2006 campaign. Solava became the first Loyola freshman to ever earn League Pitcher of the Year accolades and only the second Rambler hurler to be selected All-Mideast Region. In addition, the right-hander posted the most wins (12) by a rookie Rambler pitcher since 1995.

In high school Podlesny led Lockport to two state tournament finishes, including a second-place showing in 1991. A three-time all-state honoree, Podlesny was named Chicago Sun-Times Player of the Year in 1991 and 1992, making her the only player in Illinois history to be named Player of the Year on multiple occasions. Her 87 career high school victories stands third on the all time win list in Illinois and she also held the national record for strikeouts in a game with 31 against Bolingbrook High School.

Podlesny played six years with the nationally acclaimed Stone City Sharks 18 & under traveling team and led them to five national tournament appearances. She was invited to try out for the first U.S. Olympic team in 1992.