SOUTH BEND, IN – Former softball Monogram winner and current member of the University of Notre Dame softball program Kris Ganeff ‘99 has been selected as the fourth head coach in program history. Ganeff has been an integral part of the Fighting Irish success over the past 23 seasons, working as an assistant coach, associate coach and associate head coach during her tenure.
“We are incredibly proud to announce that Kris will be the next Head Coach of our softball program,” said University Vice President and James E. Rohr Director of Athletics Pete Bevacqua. “Kris is Notre Dame through and through, starting with her time as a student-athlete, continuing with her incredibly successful tenure as a coach under Deanna Gumpf and now as our team’s new leader. One would be hard-pressed to find an individual who loves the University and understands what it means to be a student-athlete at Notre Dame more than she does. She couldn’t be more prepared to successfully lead our softball program into the future.”
“I want to thank Father Bob (Dowd), Pete (Bevacqua) and Jen (Vining-Smith) for their confidence in me to lead this exceptional program.” Ganeff said, “Notre Dame means so much to me and my family, and I’m so excited to have the chance to lead this program. I want to thank Deanna (Gumpf) for her leadership, mentorship and friendship over the past 25 years and I can’t wait to continue to build on the program we’ve established.”
Ganeff joins Gumpf as the second coach in program history to be elevated to head coach after working as the associate head coach. She brings a wealth of experience to the role, having helped the Irish qualify for 21 NCAA Regionals, and 12 NCAA Regional finals. The Irish won 11 conference titles during Ganeff’s time in South Bend and have challenged for many more.
Ganeff has tutored several individual successes in her tenure, helping four student-athletes be named USA Softball National Player of the Year Finalists and three NFCA Freshman of the Year award finalists. Other awards for the Irish under Ganeff’s mentorship include 25 NFCA All-Americans, 105 NFCA All-Region selections, 49 first team honorees, 131 All-Conference selections, 68 first-team honorees, eight conference players of the year, four conference pitchers of the year, two conference freshmen of the year and one conference defensive player of the year.
Ganeff finished her playing career in 1999, earning All-BIG EAST and All-NFCA Mideast Region honors as a catcher. She hit a career-best seven home runs and threw out 16 base stealers in her final campaign. In her career, she accrued 157 hits, 10 homers and 75 RBI in four seasons.
A native of Westerville, Ohio, Ganeff earned a bachelor’s degree in history from Notre Dame and completed her master’s degree in physical education from Ball State in 2009.
Kris and her husband, John, reside in South Bend with their two daughters, Deven and Hayden.