Former Cornell College assistant coach Dan Gratz has been hired as the new softball coach at Kennedy High School, the school announced Wednesday.

Gratz also has been an ASA softball coach in Wisconsin and served as an assistant coach for the late Gary Stamp at Mount Vernon High School.

He replaces Katie Bova, who resigned after the 2013 season.

"Coach Gratz has a tremendous enthusiasm and passion for the game of softball, both for the competitive game on the field and for the long-term lessons and leadership development of young people that the game has to offer," said Kennedy athletic director Aaron Stecker.

"He will prove an enthusiastic and high-energy style of softball that will be exciting for our student-athletes at Kennedy. He has put a lot of thought and development into what a high school softball program should look like, what it should represent and the positive impact a high-quality program can have on young people."