Bob Bolen enters his third season as the Head Coach for the Glenville State Men's Basketball program. He is the 20th Head Coach in Pioneer MBB history.
Bolen's second season in 2024-25 saw improvement, leading GSU to a (17-13) overall record and (10-10) MEC finish. The Pioneers finished sixth in the league and advanced to the MEC Tournament Semifinals after an opening round win over Charleston. Devin Collins earned All-MEC First Team and star freshman Ammar Maxwell landed on the All-MEC Second Team. The Pioneers ranked near the top of the league in scoring defense (4th), scoring margin (4th), opponent FG percentage (2nd), turnover margin (4th), assist/turnover ratio (4th) and steals (4th).
In his first season at the helm, Bolen led the Pioneers to 14 wins and an (8-12 MEC) finish. The Pioneers finished 7th in the MEC, winning in the first round of the MEC Tournament before falling to the second-seeded West Liberty Hilltoppers in the Quarterfinals. Jordan "Turbo" Smith was ninth in the league in scoring (14.2 PPG) and second in assists (5.5 APG), earning a spot on All-MEC Second Team. Transfer Devin Collins took home Honorable Mention honors as well.
"With Coach Bolen, we are getting a proven winner; someone who has shown an ability to build a roster and produce at a high level," Glenville State Athletic Director Jesse Skiles said.
Bolen built an impressive resume during his tenure at Mountain State University. In his 18-year career with the Cougars, Bob posted an overall record of (489-125). Bob’s teams had won 25 or more games in a span of 12 seasons which lead to 49 consecutive weeks in the top five of the national rankings. Bolen’s teams were no strangers to success, averaging 27 wins per year during his stint with the Cougars.
During his time at Mountain State University, he would be named the National Coach of the Year twice. The 2004 season proved to be magical with the Cougars finishing the campaign with a (38-1) record and securing an NAIA National Championship.
Bolen also brings Division I experience serving as an assistant at East Tennessee State from (2013-15). In his first season as an assistant, the Buccaneers made the Atlantic Sun Semifinals, securing a bid to the CIT Tournament.
Bob is a native of Beckley, W.Va., and has ties to Glenville State. During his playing days at the collegiate level, he spent two years under legendary head coach Jesse Lilly. Bolen closed out his career at Bluefield for the great Terry Brown.
Before arriving to Glenville, Bolen had been covering basketball for ESPN TV and WV Video Productions. With his role as an analyst, Bob enters the Mountain East Conference with extensive knowledge about the league.
