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02/19/2019
Bob Boldon is a master of making the best out of a bad situation.
He did it at Youngstown State before coming to Ohio six years ago. Boldon helped the lowly Penguins win their first game in nearly two years. The Penguins were 6-24 in his first season, but when he left, Youngstown State was 23-10 and the second-best team in the Horizon League.
Boldon’s heroics ended up catching the attention of another pitiful program, one that also needed a savior: the worst team in the Mid-American Conference.
Carl Fonticella | FOR THE POST
Ohio women's basketball head coach Bob Bolden shouts out instructions to his team during the second half of their game against Toledo on February 4. In his first season as head coach, the Bobcats went 9-21and 4-14 in MAC play, but are now perennial contenders to win the MAC.
The Bobcats were 6-23, deep in the pit of the MAC, under Semeka Randall before Boldon came in and saved the day. He improved the Bobcats to 9-20 in his first season. Absolutely remarkable.
All sarcasm aside, Boldon’s next five years have been the best span in school history. He won two Mid-American Conference regular season titles (2014-2015 and 2015-2016) and a MAC Tournament championship (2015), and he turned Ohio from the worst team in the conference to one of the best mid-major programs in the country.
And in six years, he’s only three victories away from the most wins all-time in program history, 123.
Now that’s actually remarkable.
But how long will the Boldon era last? Coaches don’t come to Ohio to finish out their careers — unless their names are Frank Solich — and soon, Power Five schools will call for Boldon’s services. Will the influence and money of Big Ten, SEC and ACC schools be too much for him to pass on?
It’s tough to say. Boldon has earned the right to be looked at by more prestigious schools, and many people would leave to advance their careers. But who cares what other people think? You have to ask the source what’s going on in their mind. That’s what I did.
As Boldon hovered over the scrum during Monday’s media availability, I asked him point blank, “Why’d you take this job and what are you proud of?”
After Boldon’s eyes shrunk back to normal size, he collected his thoughts and answered the question, stunning reporters.
“I never wanted to take this job,” he said.
Boldon went on to say how he hates taking new jobs, which isn’t surprising. He doesn’t like change, or zone defenses, or Thanksgiving (a column for another time). But ultimately, Ohio Athletic Director Jim Schaus won him over with a tour of the campus — which is much more serene than the concrete jungle of Youngstown.
Boldon went on to say what his perfect coaching situation was: a beautiful campus, good people and sustainable winning.
Let’s see if Ohio checks the boxes.
Beautiful campus: Well, while it’s cold and hilly, and it’s really easy to slip on wet brick, Ohio has a beautiful campus out of a movie, so, check.
Good people: Boldon isn’t harassed by hundreds of media outlets, and the town is small but supportive, so, check.
Sustainable winning: Boldon constantly recruits the best freshmen in the MAC. He’s got one of the best teams in the MAC and only has to replace two starters next year, so, check.
Boldon has the perfect situation in Athens. The players love him, and so do the fans. It’s one of the few relationships still going strong in Athens.
Sounds like Boldon’s got what he needs to be happy in Athens for a while, but don’t get too optimistic.
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This story is part of a series of specially designed stories that represents some of the best journalism The Post has to offer. Check out the rest of the special projects here.