Not long after former Bradley-Bourbonnais football coach Mike Kohl announced his resignation last month, the Boilermakers have found his replacement.

And they didn’t have to look far to find him.

Joe Kubal, one of Kohl’s assistants for the last 15 years, was announced as the school’s next coach, pending board approval, in an email statement provided to the Daily Journal on Monday.

“It’s exciting,” Kubal said. “I just couldn’t be more humbled to be taking over a program that’s so rich in tradition. I told Mike I feel like this is a gold standard program not only in the area, but the state of Illinois.”

Kubal has previous head coaching experience, going 50-37 with four playoff appearances at Momence from 2002-10. He came to Bradley-Bourbonnais when Kohl, his former college teammate at Millikin University in Decatur, was named the head coach in 2011.

He spent 11 seasons as the Boilermakers’ defensive coordinator before serving as an assistant on the staff over the last four years. In those 15 years, the Boilers went 91-59 and made nine playoff appearances, including their current four-year streak.

And Kubal doesn’t plan on that streak ending anytime soon.

“That’s what I’m certainly hoping for,” Kubal said. “Me and Mike have seen eye to eye on almost anything we’ve done. It’s been a great relationship and I’ve learned so much from Mike in the last 15 years.

“I haven’t had a chance to meet with coaches, but I have emailed them that some meetings are obviously coming up. Did Hudl message the team, let them know my emotions obviously are excited. We’re going to have a team meeting Wednesday and get the ball rolling right away.”

Kohl, who also is the school’s athletic director, and Kubal were in agreement that the familiarity that the coaching staff and players all have with not just their new head coach, but one another, makes the new transition about as seamless as possible.

“Coach Kubal is a familiar and respected face within our program, having served in various coaching roles at BBCHS for the past 15 years,” Kohl said in a statement. “His deep understanding of our team’s culture, our athletes, and the Boilermaker community makes him the ideal choice to lead our football program into its next chapter.”

The Boilers will enter their new era with plenty of momentum as nine-game winners in each of the last two seasons. Among a deep list of returning talents are upcoming junior running back Ky’ren Edmon, who’s developed into one of the top running back recruits in the Midwest, and senior two-way standout WR/DB Rontez Smith.