MERRILLVILLE - Merrillville High School has a new girls varsity head basketball coach.
The Merrillville Community School Corporation Board of School Trustees approved the appointment of Kelly Kratz to the position at its meeting Tuesday night.
Kratz has served as girls’ varsity assistant coach under head coach Amy Govert since 2014. During her years as the assistant, the girls’ team won four sectionals and one regional, and they were regional runner-up twice.
From 2015-18, Kratz served as the Pirates’ head girls’ track coach. She teaches world history at Merrillville High School. She attended Valparaiso University, where she was on a basketball scholarship and graduated in 2010 after playing four years at VU. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree and a master’s in secondary education.
Kratz’s first job teaching was at Valparaiso High School for one year. She then taught in Detroit for two years, before returning to the Region to teach at Chesterton for one year, before coming to Merrillville.
Merrillville High School director of athletics Janis Qualizza says Kratz has a good understanding of the expectations of the school and community and the administration is confident she will do an excellent job of preparing the young ladies for what lies ahead of them on the court, in the classroom and in life.
