Jeff Bolen enters his 6th year and 5th full season as the Head Baseball Coach and Pitching Coach at St. Charles Community College for the 2024 Spring Season! Before taking over at SCC, Bolen came over from perennial D1 JUCO powerhouse Wabash Valley College as their pitching coach and recruiting coordinator.

In 2023 the Cougars went 33-27 and made a run to the Region 16 championship game in Coach Bolen's 4th Full Season as Head coach! It was another record setting year as the Cougars won 30+ games in consecutive seasons for the first time since 2008 and their Region 16 Tournament Championship appearance was the program's 1st since 2000. Coach Bolen also eclipsed the 100 career win mark in a 5-3 win over State Fair CC on 4/22.  The #SCCougs once again were lead by a potent running attack claiming the most SB's in NJCAA Division 1 ranks for the 2nd consecutive year (241 SBs) as well as finishing in the top 40 nationally in Runs/Game, HBP/Game, BBs/Game as an offense. On the mound, Coach Bolen's pitching staff broke the school record again in strikeouts (456) good for 35th in the country.  Bolen and his staff were also able to move on 15 Sophomores on to the four year level including 6 who are going to NCAA Divison 1 institutions (Mizzou, Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, Lindenwood, University of Southern Indiana). 

In 2022 the Cougars achieve their best season as a program yet under Bolen's helm! The SCC baseball team finished 30-19, winning 30 games for the first time as program since 2001 while also winning back to back Region 16 sub-regionals for the first time in school history.   Bolen and staff lead a lethal offensive attack finishing in the top 20 in many offensive statistical categories in the NJCAA Division 1 (1st-SB's, 7th in .OBP%, and 20th in .BA).  The Cougars pitching staff also racked up the 2nd highest strikeout total in SCC single season history. The Cougars pitching attack was lead by 5 sophomores who all went on to play at NCAA Division I programs (Mizzou, SIUE, Lindenwood, Illinois State and Nichols St.).  The Cougars sent 18 Sophomores to 4 year institutions altogether including 7 NCAA Division I comittments.

In 2021 during Coach Bolen's second full season at SCC following the COVID Pandemic he led SCC to it's first sub-regional win in program history and clinched a spot in the region tournament for the first time since 2006! It was also the first year that the program has obtained back to back winning seasons since the 2005 and 2006 campaigns.  2021 featured a number of historic accomplishments for individuals as well. Bryce Mayer, Zack Floyd and Spencer Hunter all claimed first team All-Region/Conference becoming the first SCC trio to do so in program history. Bryce Mayer broke the program record in K's per 9 innings and finished in the top in 15 of all NJCAA D1 for K's per 9 innings.  Piling on the accomplishments the Cougars offense finished 6th in the country in Stolen Bases despite missing their first 15 games due to the COVID cancellations as well as finished 6th as a pitching staff in the country in K's per 9 innings.  The Cougars also set many program single season records in 2021 as well! The 2021 ball club broke the single season record for total Strikeouts and Strikeouts per 9 innings by a pitching staff, On-Base Percentage, Stolen Bases and Hit by Pitches.  All 16 sophomores were placed at four year NCAA Division 1, 2 or NAIA level programs following the 2021 season!

In Coach Bolen's first year at SCC he guided a program to their first winning season (20-20) and playoff berth in over a decade. All 9 Sophomores moved on to play baseball at a four year school including four NCAA Division 1 members (SIUE x 2, Indiana St., Western Kentucky).

Wabash Valley College:

During Bolen's 2nd year at Wabash Valley, he guided the pitching staff to a 2.58 ERA and the staff again finished in the top three in ERA, Batting Average Against and Strikeouts per Walk in the country.  The Warriors moved 15 sophomores on to NCAA division 1 programs and had two All-Conference winners on his pitching staff!  WVC’s closer also represented the NJCAA USA National team in the summer of 2018.  The Warriors staff led the GRAC for the 2nd consecutive year under Bolen's helm in Hits Allowed, ERA, Walks per 9, Strikeouts per 9 and Batting Average Against. 

In his first year at Wabash Valley, Bolen led the pitching staff to the 2nd lowest ERA in the country (2.60) and also led the country in the regular season in staff ERA and Batting Average Against.  The Warriors pitching staff had all 8 sophomores (including 8 position players as recruiting coordinator) move on and commit to NCAA Division 1 programs, a 2nd team All-American and two draft picks (7th and 40th round)!   The Warriors finished 3rd place in the Division 1 World Series! The Warriors staff led the GRAC in Hits Allowed, ERA, Walks per 9, Strikeouts per 9 and Batting Average Against. 

A graduate of Delavan High School in IL, Bolen went on to pitch for Lincoln Community College in Lincoln, IL and then transferred to MacMurray College to pitch and finish his degree. He received his Bachelor's degree from MacMurray, where he majored in Physical Education with a minor in Coaching and Health. Later, in the summer of 2016, Bolen received his Master's degree in Education-Curriculum and Instruction from Fontbonne University.

Continuing his baseball career, Bolen served as a member of the Fontbonne University coaching staff where he served as the program's Recruiting Coordinator and Pitching Coach for the 2015 and 2016 seasons.

While at Fontbonne University, Bolen had four pitchers receive All-Conference recognition, including one Newcomer of the Year in the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SLIAC). Also, while at Fontbonne, during the 2016 season, the Fontbonne pitching staff broke the school record for strikeouts in a single season, finished 5th in the nation K's per game at the DIII level and also had the 5th lowest single season ERA for a staff in Fontbonne baseball history. Individual awards accrued at Fontbonne included: 1st and 3rd All-Time Strikeouts Leader, 1st All-Time Innings Leader and a no-hitter. As pitching coach, Bolen had one pitcher signed and is now pitching in the Los Angeles Dodgers organization.

Before his career at Fontbonne, Bolen helped MacMurray College as a Student Assistant in his final year and also was the Pitching Coach for Lincoln Junior Legion in 2010 and 2011.

Bolen and his wife, the former Taylor McConnell, also from Peoria, IL, were married in the summer of 2015 and have a Siberian Husky named Rizzo.