![Jeff Schade was an assistant on last year's Corn Belt and Regional championship team. (Photo courtesy Central Catholic High School)](https://www.wjbc.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/389/2016/10/Jeff-Schade.jpg)
By Greg Halbleib
BLOOMINGTON – A former assistant for Central Catholic High School softball is the program’s new head coach.
Jeff Schade takes over the Saints after coaching softball at various levels since 1996. He has been head softball coach at St. Mary’s Grade School in Pontiac since 2008, guiding that program to the Illinois Elementary School Association Class 1A state championship in 2014 with a 24-0 record after the squad finished fourth in 2013.
Schade lives in Bloomington with his wife Kim and their four children. He is owner of CF Physical Therapy, which has 22 outpatient clinics throughout central and southeastern Illinois. He replaces Dan Highland, who retired after six seasons after leading the Saints last spring to the school’s first Corn Belt Conference and Illinois High School Association Regional titles.
Greg Halbleib can be reached at [email protected].