Cal State Bakersfield coach Rod Barnes stepping down after 14 seasons

Cal State Bakersfield men’s basketball coach Rod Barnes is retiring from coaching the Roadrunners, the team announced on Wednesday night. Barnes spent 14 seasons leading the program.

He finished his tenure with a 210-231 record. His best season came in 2015-16 when Barnes led CSU Bakersfield to its first and only NCAA Tournament appearance. Between 2015 and 2017, Barnes led the program to a 49-19 record.

“I want to thank Coach Barnes for guiding our scholar-athletes since 2011 and for emphasizing academic excellence, teamwork, community engagement and the highest level of competition,” said CSUB President Vernon B. Harper Jr., via release. “His enthusiasm for our teams and student-athletes created excitement and spirit in the Icardo Center that spread beyond our campus, into the greater community, deepening loyalty to CSUB and nurturing a new generation of Roadrunner fans.”

The program has posted a losing record in each of the last four seasons, including a 14-19 mark one season ago. 14 wins were the most by a CSU Bakersfield team since finishing with 15 wins during the 2020-21 season.

Barnes departure from the program comes shortly after one of his former assistants, Kevin Mays, was arrested on human trafficking charges and other crimes, per 23 ABC News in Bakersfield. He was on Barnes’ staff for six years.

Per KBAK, Mays was booked into the Kern County Jail not only human trafficking charges, but also pimping and pandering, weapons violations, and drug offenses. Lauren Skidmore from The Open Door Network, an organization that operates a homeless shelter in Kern County and serves human trafficking victims, educated KBAK about the emotional trauma human trafficking victims often face.

As of this writing, it’s unclear if Barnes’ move to retire from the program is connected to Mays’ case. Mays previously played at CSU Bakersfield under Barnes from 2014-16. Still, there is no indication in the press release alluding to this connection. Instead, Harper thanked Barnes for his contributions to the program during his extended tenure.

“I also wish to commend Coach Barnes for his leadership of the men’s basketball team through two defining moments in CSUB Athletics history: The transition to the Big West Conference and the challenges related to collegiate competition during the pandemic,” Harper added. “Please join me in thanking Coach Barnes for the passion and leadership he brought to the men’s basketball team and our entire university and community.”