California State University (Fresno)

"Heavily recruited my daughter, got her to commit and pass up other offers and then she was cut a week before school started. Too late to even register at other schools. He has done this to multiple girls and it is a truly terrible thing to do to any athlete and speaks to who he is as a person. She was so grateful to have been cut because the girls he did coach all said nothing but horrible things."

"Coach Bolton has been nothing but great as a coach and is a wonderful person. He seems overly positive and optimistic when he talks about his team in interviews and seems motivated with how they are progressing. It is clear he really cares for his players, and as a parent of one I know this to be true. It’s also clear he spends a lot of time on giving back to our Fresno community. Our family has followed Fresno State Women’s Soccer for many years and we used to never hear or see anything about the team or program. Only knew how they were doing by checking scores or going to the games. But now our community is excited to support this team because the players and coaches are all around our town. They put on fun camps for kids and events for people to get involved with. I know that Coach Bolton is available to his players and checks in on them regularly. He is tough and expects hard work just as every D1 coach does. He has created a fun atmosphere on game days where our local club teams get to be a part of the action. My entire family loves to come out and watch home games now. It’s very obvious that Coach Bolton is working hard to build something special here at Fresno State. Great experience. Thank you Coach Bolton and your great staff. Excited to what the future holds for this program. Go Bulldogs."

"horrible experience, he does not know what he’s doing at all. please do not consider your child playing here it will be the worst experience they ever have. Team culture is extremely toxic and none of the staff care to fix it ."

"I feel like, in good conscience, I have to write this review. Please consider all of your options carefully before having your daughter commit to this school. Don't let the social media posts and recruitment visits fool you about the atmosphere. In my experience, much of it is for show. I know there are other players who would like to speak up but obviously feel they can't because they are concerned about retaliation. I can't wait for my daughter to transfer schools, have a new experience, and start fresh next semester. I would love to go into more detail, but soccer is a small world and my daughter just wants to move on. All I can say is that, from what I have witnessed, this coach seems far more concerned about maintaining his position as a Division I head coach than he is about the well-being of all of his players. There is a small group of players he seems to care very much about and with whose families he has developed close relationships. If your daughter isn't part of that group, I would be concerned. The level of toxicity I have witnessed is astonishing, especially at a time when NCAA athletics talks so much about the mental well-being of student-athletes. I also have serious concerns about the way physical injuries and rehabilitation are handled and the pressure players can feel surrounding their recovery. Unfortunately, don't assume the assistant coaches will necessarily be able to help. Communication within the coaching staff regarding individual players and what they are experiencing has also been concerning. My daughter is looking forward to starting fresh. I also wouldn't automatically accept the explanation that players who leave this program were simply cut or weren't capable of playing at this level. There have been a lot of departures in the relatively short time this coach has been here. I genuinely wish I didn't feel compelled to write this. If your daughter is considering this program, ask difficult questions and, if possible, speak privately with former players and their parents rather than relying only on the people presented to you during recruiting. I wish we had."

"Ugly and we lost to a juco..."