The walk changes from day to day, as do his mornings. Some days he will drop off his son at school before heading through South Green for a meeting at the Ping Recreation Center.
Other days, he will stroll down Court Street, passing the many locally owned businesses and shops before making his way to his office in The Convo.
His walk takes him all around the campus of Ohio, as well as the surrounding areas. His ever-changing routes give him varying views of the town he has called home for over 10 years.
“That little bit of variety is probably good for me,” said Boldon. “Walking through South Green one day and walking down Court Street the next … I enjoy the variety and the uniqueness of everything that I can see and take in along the way.”
For Boldon, the walk serves as a form of therapy, a reset and a moment for the coach to relax and take in his town.
“I enjoy that fresh air. I enjoy the sunshine,” said Boldon. “(It’s nice to take) some time between leaving your house and your responsibilities at home, before your responsibilities at work start. Then on the back end, leaving work and having a little bit of time to decompress before walking into being at home and being a husband and a dad (is nice).”
Boldon is the father of four sons, one of whom, Tyler, currently attends Ohio University, which means a lot to the head coach.
“I love every second of having him around,” Boldon said. “ He’s a practice player, comes to practices, and helps out on the floor. It has been a godsend to have him here … I’m enjoying every second of it.”
Before Boldon was ever coaching for Ohio, he came to Athens as a coach for Youngstown State but was never fully acclimated with the area.
Boldon’s view of the Southeastern Ohio town was limited in his early coaching years, often not being able to see the entirety of Athens during his visits.
“I played against Ohio a number of times but we always stayed at the OU Inn, so my experience of Ohio University was crossing a bridge before there was a round-a-bout to the Convo, and then leaving,” Boldon said. “We never knew what Court Street was and we never saw the rest of campus.”
It wasn’t until when Boldon interviewed for the head coaching job that he was able to fully experience Athens.
“In my interview, I couldn’t believe that a place like this existed,” said Boldon. “When I interviewed, Jim Shells drove me around and I was awestruck about how beautiful the campus was and how the history of this campus has been preserved … If I were to picture what a college campus would look like in a movie it would be Ohio University … It was a little bit of love at first sight.”
Since his hiring in 2013, Boldon has had great success at Ohio, leading his 2015 squad to a MAC title and an NCAA tournament appearance. But during his many years in Athens, Boldon has grown to appreciate the town for its sense of community and belonging.
“I often tell people if you can’t find somebody you like in Athens then you won’t find somebody you like anywhere,” Boldon said. “I’m very happy to be a part of a community that accepts so many different walks of life and so many different types of people.”
Boldon, born in Louisville, a city right outside Canton, played college basketball at Walsh University. Boldon has coached all over the state, starting his coaching journey at Wilmington College as an assistant. His next stop in the state came in 2006, where he served as the top assistant on Akron’s coaching staff for three years.
He would then go on to take the head coaching job at Youngstown State after another stint as an assistant at Florida Gulf Coast. He would coach the Penguins from an 0-30 record the year before he took over to an NWIT tournament appearance by the end of his tenure.
Boldon has made his rounds in the coaching world, especially across his home state. While he has spent significant time in various cities across Ohio, Athens is the one that sticks out as his home.
“(Athens is) a beautiful place; it's a tight-knit place; it's a place where everybody gets along,” Boldon said. “There’s a lot of respect for the town from both the students and the people who live here full time. It’s very interesting to me how the two merge together … I find it fascinating. It’s just a wonderful place to live.”