He was the assistant coach at Ohio for the 1995-96 season after a successful career as a player there. Yet, Boals wasn't quite sure if he'd have the same fate as a coach that he did as a player.
"When I got into coaching, I didn't know how to make it a career," Boals said. "It's hard to believe it's year 28."
Boals is in his fourth year as head coach of the Bobcats. He's seen highs — such as defeating the No. 4 seed and reigning national champions Virginia in the first round of the 2021 March Madness Tournament — and lows.
The 2020-21 season stands out to Boals because of its success and the unique qualities that came with coaching during the COVID-19 pandemic. There was no manual for navigating the mental and physical aspects, which challenged the veteran coach.
Jesse Jarrold-Grapes | Photo Editor
Coach Jeff Boals celebrates after Ohio blocks a dunk against Central Michigan on Saturday, Jan. 21, 2022.
This season has also presented a few challenges. There were a lot of questions about Boals' team before the year began. The Bobcats had intercepted nine new team members and lost several to the transfer portal. Boals didn't know what to expect when the Bobcats boarded the plane to Spain last summer.
Now, that trip seems like forever ago. Ohio has gained some consistency since the season began in November.
"This year and my first year are very similar." Boals said. "Going into my first year and fourth year, we kind of had a growth learning mindset. Let's get better. Let's get closer as a team. I knew we'd be good. I didn't know when we'd be good."
Coaching in The Convo is almost surreal for Boals. He takes pride in his Bobcat roots but likes to do things his way.
When Boals was a player, the team practiced for nearly four hours each day. It was brutal, and Boals knew he didn't want to put his players through that. He doesn't run things that way because he doesn't like it.
Rather, Boals has taken guidance from each coach he's worked with over his 28-year career. His teams may practice a little less, but he still finds a way to instill the discipline his old schedule created.
Boals' players recognize that their coach is someone they can count on forever. The relationships he establishes are solid, and it shows.
When Ohio defeated Virginia, Boals' phone lit up with messages of congratulations and support from his former players at Robert Morris, Ohio State, Marshall, Akron and Stony Brook.
Not all of the messages are tied to games, though.
"Recently, I got a text message from Mason McMurray, and he transferred from here. It was his senior night, the last game he was ever going to play. He sent me a message thanking me. He told me he loves me and that he can't thank me enough," Boals said. "Those mean more than anything."
Boals started coaching because the job was offered to him. He didn't realize the number of lives he'd get to touch and the relationships he'd create along the way. Those connections are why Boals continues to coach.
"The further you get into it, the more you realize why you coach," Boals said. "It's the relationships. The small piece that you can have on helping young men become productive citizens, grow in life, graduate, get a job (and) have families. That's the cool thing."