Report: Cal State Bakersfield targeting USC assistant Todd Lee as next head coach

The Cal State Bakersfield Roadrunners appear to be zeroing in on their next leader. Evidently, it’s a familiar name with deep coaching roots.

According to Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports, the program is targeting Todd Lee, currently an assistant with the USC Trojans, as its next head coach. While a deal is not yet finalized, both sides are actively working through details that would bring Lee back to Bakersfield in a new role.

The move would come at a pivotal time for the Roadrunners program, which is looking to stabilize after a turbulent stretch. Former head coach Rod Barnes abruptly resigned in September 2025 amid a scandal involving a former assistant, and the team struggled to an 8–24 record under interim leadership this past season.

However, Lee would bring both experience and familiarity to the job. A veteran with more than 30 years in coaching, Lee has served as a head coach at multiple levels, most notably at South Dakota from 2018 to 2022. 

During that time, he compiled a 66–52 record, earned Summit League Coach of the Year honors, and consistently fielded competitive, high-scoring teams. His ability to develop talent and build cohesive systems helped elevate the Coyotes into a steady contender.

Since then, Lee has worked under Eric Musselman at both Arkansas and USC, continuing a decades-long professional relationship. At Arkansas, he was part of a staff that reached the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 and developed multiple NBA Draft picks, further reinforcing his reputation as a strong evaluator and developer of talent.

Perhaps most notably, Lee has prior ties to Bakersfield itself. He previously served as an assistant with the program in the mid-1990s, helping guide the Roadrunners to the 1997 NCAA

Division II national championship. That connection could make this potential hire a full-circle moment for both Lee and the program.

His résumé also includes a successful run at Kentucky Wesleyan, where he built a Division II powerhouse, and a key role in Grand Canyon’s transition to Division I, where the program became a consistent postseason participant.

For Cal State Bakersfield, the appeal is clear. Lee would bring experience, along with stability and a track record of building winning cultures.

After a season defined as much by off-court headlines as on-court struggles, the Roadrunners are looking for a reset. If a deal gets done, Todd Lee could be the coach tasked with leading that turnaround, and restoring direction to a program in need of it.