D.J. Boldin enters his 2nd season as the Wide Receivers Coach for the South Carolina State Bulldogs, bringing with him a proven track record of developing talent and leading high-performing offenses.
Bolden also serves as the NFL Pro Liaison.
In his inaugural year with the Bulldogs, Boldin made an immediate impact—his top three wide receivers led the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) in total receiving yards. Under his guidance, two standout receivers earned opportunities to transfer to Power 4 programs, further underscoring his ability to prepare athletes for the next level.
His coaching excellence was recognized across the conference and region as he was named both the MEAC Assistant Coach of the Year and the AFCA FCS Region 2 Assistant Coach of the Year. Boldin played a key role in helping South Carolina State capture the MEAC Championship.
Prior to joining the Bulldogs, Boldin served as the Head Coach, Offensive Coordinator, and Wide Receivers Coach at Lake Erie College (NCAA Division II). During his two-year tenure, he guided the Storm to several program milestones, including their first-ever win in the “Pride and Passion Rivalry Trophy” game against Walsh University in 2022. His leadership produced nine All-Conference selections across First, Second, and Third Teams, and 44 student-athletes earned Academic All-Conference honors.
In 2021, Boldin began his time at Lake Erie as the Wide Receivers Coach and Co-Special Teams Coordinator, where he developed a First Team All-GMAC wide receiver for three consecutive seasons (2021–2023), coached a back-to-back 1,000-yard receiver (2021–2022), and mentored an All-American receiving tight end in 2021.
Boldin also has high school football coaching experience, including a return to his alma mater, Pahokee High School (FL), as Head Coach from 2019 to 2020. In his first year, he led Pahokee to the State Semi-Finals and was named Palm Beach County Coach of the Year. His success was chronicled in the docuseries 4th and Forever: Muck City. Despite the challenges of the 2020 COVID-impacted season, he guided his team to the 1A–6A Tri-County Gold Playoffs. During his two seasons, 15 of his student-athletes earned full-ride scholarships to FBS and FCS programs.
At the professional level, Boldin spent three seasons (2013–2015) as an Assistant Coach in the NFL with the San Francisco 49ers, working with the offensive line and tight ends. His work contributed to Pro Bowl seasons for offensive linemen Joe Staley and Mike Iupati, and a career-best 13-touchdown season for All-Pro tight end Vernon Davis.
A standout wide receiver at Wake Forest University, Boldin earned Sporting News ACC All-Freshman Team honors in 2005 and was named First Team All-ACC in 2008 after a senior season in which he posted 81 receptions for 848 yards and 3 touchdowns. Following his college career, he signed with the Detroit Lions as an undrafted free agent in 2009 and played in the Canadian Football League with the Toronto Argonauts from 2010 to 2012.
Boldin earned his degree in Sociology from Wake Forest in 2008. He is the younger brother of former NFL wide receiver Anquan Boldin. Coach Boldin and his wife Sasha Jones-Boldin are proud parents of three children: Madison, Dallas, and Marley.
