Budnick attended the College of William and Mary where he played on the men's soccer team from 1989 to 1993.
During his four-year career with the Tribe, Budnick was a two-time NSCAA All-South Atlantic Region selection and a three-time All-CAA choice.
In February 1996, the Tampa Bay Mutiny selected Budnick in the 14th round (137th overall) of the 1996 MLS Inaugural Player Draft.
Budnick played several games with the United States U-20 men's national soccer team in 1989 and 1990 as a backup to Kasey Keller.
In 2009, the Louisville Lightning of the Professional Arena Soccer League hired Budnick as its head coach.