For the first time in program history, Ohio’s women’s basketball will have a male head coach, as Ohio Athletics announced the hire of Bob Boldon on Thursday.
Boldon — the 10th head coach in program history — is the replacement for former head coach Semeka Randall, who posted the program’s poorest winning percentage with an overall record of 50-103 in five seasons.
“I’m very excited to be here,” Boldon said at a news conference. “I met the team before (the news conference), and you could see some genuine excitement about getting back to work and on the floor. They seem eager to learn.”
Boldon and Ohio Athletics have agreed in principle to a five-year contract, in which Boldon will earn $170,000 annually. He added he would like to have his assistants from Youngstown State, where he coached women’s basketball for the past three seasons, but has not yet finalized his list.
Boldon has experience in turning a program around. He inherited a team that had gone 0-30 prior to Boldon’s tenure.
However, this past season, Boldon led the Penguins (23-10) to their first 20-win season in 13 years and a berth in the Women’s National Invitational Tournament. By doing so, he was named Horizon League coach of the year.
“I thought it was really important for us to hire a head coach that has had head coaching experience,” Ohio Director of Athletics Jim Schaus said. “Every place he has been, he has made them better, and I don’t think that’s coincidence; it has a lot to do with Bob Boldon.”
After he spent two seasons as the head assistant coach at Akron from 2006 to 2008, Boldon also noted that the Mid-American Conference is talented. That’s something the Bobcats can also attest to, as they endured injuries and posted just a 1-15 MAC record this past season.
“We try to teach our kids to play basketball and cater around their ability, rather than their position,” Boldon said. “I think that this will be a fresh start for a lot of players to get a fresh start in a new system and put their best foot forward — maybe it’s the second start they need.”
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