Jeff Boals

{{Infobox college coach

| name = Jeff Boals

| image = JeffBoals.jpg

| alt = Jeff Boals coaching in 2022

| caption = Jeff Boals

| current_title = Head coach

| current_team = Ohio

| current_conference = MAC

| current_record = {{winpct|114|76|record=y}}

| contract = $581,000

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1972|9|5}}

| birth_place = Magnolia, Ohio, U.S.

| death_date =

| death_place =

| alma_mater =

| player_years1 = 1991–1995

| player_team1 = Ohio

| coach_years1 = 1995–1996

| coach_team1 = Ohio (asst.)

| overall_record = {{winpct|169|118|record=y}}

| bowl_record =

| tournament_record = 1–1 (NCAA Division I)
1–2 (CBI)

| championships = MAC tournament (2021)

| awards =

| coaching_records =

| coach_years2 = 1996–1999

| coach_team2 = Charleston (WV) (asst.)

| coach_years3 = 1999–2003

| coach_team3 = Marshall (asst.)

| coach_years4 = 2003–2004

| coach_team4 = Charleston (WV) (assoc. HC)

| coach_years5 = 2004–2006

| coach_team5 = Robert Morris (asst.)

| coach_years6 = 2006–2009

| coach_team6 = Akron (asst.)

| coach_years7 = 2009–2016

| coach_team7 = Ohio State (asst.)

| coach_years8 = 2016–2019

| coach_team8 = Stony Brook

| coach_years9 = 2019–present

| coach_team9 = Ohio

}}

Jeff Boals (born September 5, 1972) is the head coach of the Ohio Bobcats men's basketball team. Boals spent seven years as an assistant coach for the Ohio State Buckeyes men's basketball team under the tutelage of Thad Matta. In his first head coaching job, he replaced Steve Pikiell as the head coach for the Stony Brook Seawolves for three years.{{cite web|title=Jeff Boals Biography|url=http://www.ohiostatebuckeyes.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=17300&ATCLID=3735150|publisher=OhioStateBuckeyes.com|access-date=21 June 2011}}{{Dead link|date=February 2020|bot=InternetArchiveBot|fix-attempted=yes}}{{cite web|url=https://www.newsday.com/sports/college/stony-brook/stony-brook-hires-jeff-boals-as-new-men-s-basketball-coach-1.11668616|title=Stony Brook hires Jeff Boals as new coach|website=Newsday|language=en|access-date=2019-03-17}}

Playing career

A 1995 graduate of Ohio University with a Bachelor of Science degree in biological sciences, Boals was a four-year letterwinner on the Bobcats' basketball team.{{cite web|url=https://www.si.com/college-basketball/2016/06/13/jeff-boals-stony-brook-seawolves|title=Q&A with new Stony Brook coach Jeff Boals|website=SI.com|date=13 June 2016 |language=en|access-date=2018-12-25}} Also a two-year captain, he helped guide Ohio to a 1994 MAC regular season and tournament championship to send the Bobcats to the NCAA tournament, the next season the program won the Preseason National Invitation tournament.{{cite web|url=https://www.sbstatesman.com/2017/02/26/jeff-boals-adapting-to-new-culture-both-on-the-court-and-off/|title=Jeff Boals adapting to new culture both on the court and off|last=Kohli|first=Kunal|website=The Statesman|date=27 February 2017 |language=en-US|access-date=2018-12-25}} In the preseason NIT, the Bobcats notched road victories over Ohio State and Virginia before edging New Mexico State and George Washington at Madison Square Garden. Boals suffered a torn ACL in his senior year of college that ended his playing career.

Coaching career

Boals landed his first coaching job as an assistant coach at his alma mater after graduating. He then took an assistant coaching job at the University of Charleston in West Virginia, where he stayed for three seasons before joining Marshall as an assistant coach from 1999 to 2003. Boals returned to Charleston as the associate head coach, for one season before jumping back to the Division I ranks with Robert Morris, then to Akron.{{cite web|url=https://www.newsday.com/sports/college/stony-brook/stony-brook-hires-jeff-boals-as-new-men-s-basketball-coach-1.11668616|title=Stony Brook hires Jeff Boals as new coach|website=Newsday|language=en|access-date=2018-12-25}} He joined the coaching staff of Ohio State in 2009, led by Thad Matta, where he was a part of three Big Ten Conference regular-season titles, four NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 appearances, an Elite Eight, and a Final Four appearance in 2012.{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/15162516|title=Stony Brook hires Buckeyes' Boals as new coach|date=2016-04-08|website=ESPN.com|language=en|access-date=2018-12-25}} The Buckeyes' record was 193–62 with Boals as assistant coach. Boals recruited players such as D'Angelo Russell and Jared Sullinger to play for Ohio State.{{cite web|url=https://s3.amazonaws.com/sidearm.sites/stonybrook.sidearmsports.com/documents/2019/1/8/17_Binghamton.pdf|website=s3.amazonaws.com|title=Stony Brook vs. Binghamton – Game Notes January 9, 2019|access-date=2019-01-09}}

=Stony Brook=

On April 8, 2016, Boals was named the 11th head coach in Stony Brook men's basketball history, and its third since moving to Division I. In Boals' first season as head coach, the Seawolves finished 18–14 (12–4), second in the America East Conference.{{cite web|url=http://uconnhuskies.com/news/2017/11/13/Men_s_Hoops_Welcomes_Stony_Brook_on_Tuesday.aspx?path=mbball|title=Men's Hoops Welcomes Stony Brook on Tuesday|website=University of Connecticut Athletics|date=13 November 2017 |language=en|access-date=2018-12-25}} Boals led the Seawolves to their first 20-win season under his tenure in 2018–19 after which they earned a bid to the CBI.

=Ohio=

On March 17, 2019, Boals resigned from Stony Brook to accept a head coaching position at his alma mater, Ohio University.{{cite web|url=https://www.thepostathens.com/article/2019/03/jeff-boals-ohio-mens-basketball-head-coach|title=Men's Basketball: Jeff Boals named 19th coach in Ohio history|website=The Post|access-date=2019-03-17}} Boals' contract with Ohio is for five years, with a $581,100 yearly salary.{{cite web|url=https://issuu.com/thepost23/docs/fullpaper_032119|title=No Place Like Home|website=The Post|date=21 March 2019 |access-date=2019-03-27}} The Bobcats went 17–15 in Boals first season with Ohio. Following the 2019–2020 season, the MAC tournament was cancelled due to the start of the coronavirus pandemic.{{cite news |title=Mid-American Conference cancels basketball tournament in Cleveland because of coronavirus concerns |url=https://www.cleveland.com/sports/2020/03/mid-american-conference-cancels-mens-and-womens-basketball-tournament.html |newspaper=The Plain Dealer |date=March 12, 2020 |author=Wright, Branson |accessdate=March 12, 2020}} The next season Boals lead his 2020–21 team to a 17–8 record including 3 wins in the MAC tournament. They received the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA tournament as the No. 13 seed in the West region. There they upset No. 4-seeded Virginia in the first round{{cite web|title=Ohio vs. Virginia – Game Recap – March 20, 2021 – ESPN|url=https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap/_/gameId/401310926|access-date=2021-10-25|website=ESPN.com|language=en}} before falling to No. 5-seeded Creighton in the second round.{{cite web|title=Ohio vs. Creighton – Game Recap – March 22, 2021 – ESPN|url=https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap/_/gameId/401310890|access-date=2021-10-25|website=ESPN.com|language=en}}{{cite web|last=Henry|first=Megan|title=Athens celebrated March Madness game — despite outcome|url=https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/2021/03/22/ohio-university-athens-court-street-march-madness-creighton-game/4797106001/|access-date=2021-09-03|website=The Columbus Dispatch|language=en}} The Bobcats were led in the tournament by their point guard Jason Preston who declared for the NBA draft where he was the 33rd pick and acquired by the Los Angeles Clippers{{cite web |title=Men's Basketball: Jason Preston declares for the 2021 NBA Draft |url=https://www.thepostathens.com/article/2021/04/ohio-bobcats-mens-basketball-jason-preston-declare-for-2021-nba-draft |website=The Post |access-date=April 26, 2021 |date=April 26, 2021}}{{cite news |last1=Mirjam |first1=Swanson |title=Clippers eager to bet on Ohio's Jason Preston |url=https://www.ocregister.com/2021/07/30/clippers-eager-to-bet-on-ohios-jason-preston/ |access-date=August 1, 2021 |work=The Orange County Register |date=July 30, 2021}} His 2021–22 team opened with a school best 19-3 record but struggled down the stretch to finish 25–10.{{cite web |url=https://ohiobobcats.com/news/2022/2/5/mens-basketball-career-day-from-carter-leads-ohio-mens-basketball-to-victory-over-wmu.aspx|title=Career Day from Carter Leads Ohio Men's Basketball to Victory Over WMU|website=Ohio University Athletics|date=5 February 2022 |language=en|access-date=2022-02-05}} His 2022-23 team had a lot of roster turnover and slipped to 19–14.{{Cite web|title=Ohio Bobcats Schedule 2022-23|url=https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/team/schedule/_/id/195/season/2023|access-date=2023-03-31|website=ESPN.com|language=en}} His 2023-24 team finished 20–13 and tied for second in the conference.{{Cite web|title=Ohio Bobcats Schedule 2023-24|url=https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/team/schedule/_/id/195/season/2024|access-date=2024-03-16|website=ESPN.com|language=en}}Entering the 2024-25 season, the Bobcats received 11 of the 12 first place votes to win the MAC but could only post a 16–16 record.{{cite web|url=https://getsomemaction.com/news/2024/10/21/mac-announces-2024-25-mens-basketball-preseason-poll-teams.aspx|title=MAC Announces 2024-25 Men's Basketball Preseason Poll & Teams|date=October 23, 2024|accessdate=October 25, 2024|website=getsomemaction.com|publisher=Mid-American Conference}}{{cite web |url=https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/standings/_/season/2025/group/14|title=MAC Men's College Basketball Standings - 2025-25|website=ESPN|language=en|access-date=2025-03-15}}

Head coaching record

{{CBB Yearly Record Start

|type=coach

|conference=

|postseason=

|poll=no

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Subhead

|name=Stony Brook Seawolves

|startyear=2016

|conference=America East Conference

|endyear=2019

|}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| season = 2016–17

| name = Stony Brook

| overall = 18–14

| conference = 12–4

| confstanding = 2nd

| postseason = CBI First Round

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| season = 2017–18

| name = Stony Brook

| overall = 13–19

| conference = 7–9

| confstanding = 5th

| postseason =

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| season = 2018–19

| name = Stony Brook

| overall = 24–9

| conference = 12–4

| confstanding = 2nd

| postseason = CBI First Round*

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Subtotal

| name = Stony Brook

| overall = {{winpct|55|42|record=y}}

| confrecord = {{winpct|31|17|record=y}}

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Subhead

|name=Ohio Bobcats

|startyear=2019

|conference=Mid-American Conference

|endyear=

|}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| season = 2019–20

| name = Ohio

| overall = 17–15

| conference = 8–10

| confstanding = 5th (East)

| postseason = **

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Entry

| championship = conference tournament

| season = 2020–21

| name = Ohio

| overall = 17–8

| conference = 9–5

| confstanding = 5th

| postseason = NCAA Division I Round of 32

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| season = 2021–22

| name = Ohio

| overall = 25–10

| conference = 14–6

| confstanding = 3rd

| postseason = CBI Quarterfinals

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| season = 2022–23

| name = Ohio

| overall = 19–14

| conference = 10–8

| confstanding = 5th

| postseason =

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| season = 2023–24

| name = Ohio

| overall = 20–13

| conference = 13–5

| confstanding = T–2nd

| postseason =

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| season = 2024–25

| name = Ohio

| overall = 16–16

| conference = 10–8

| confstanding = T–4th

| postseason =

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Subtotal

| name = Ohio

| overall = {{winpct|114|76|record=y}}

| confrecord = {{winpct|64|43|record=y}}

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record End

|overall= {{winpct|169|118|record=y}}

}}

*Boals left for Ohio prior to the 2019 CBI and did not coach in the Seawolves' games.
** MAC tournament had to stop due to COVID-19 pandemic.{{Cite web|url=https://www.cleveland.com/sports/2020/03/mid-american-conference-cancels-mens-and-womens-basketball-tournament.html|title=Mid-American Conference cancels basketball tournament in Cleveland because of coronavirus concerns|website=cleveland.com|date=12 March 2020 |access-date=2022-03-04}}