Rod Barnes suddenly resigned as the head college basketball coach at Cal State Bakersfield on late Wednesday night. This surprising announcement comes just three weeks after one of his assistants was arrested on human trafficking, weapons and drug charges.
It is currently unclear as to whether those two things are related.
However, the school has yet to announce a reason for this unexpected shakeup and the Roadrunners are set to begin the 2025-26 college basketball season on Nov. 3. The timing is less than ideal.
Rod Barnes is a legend!
Barnes was hired at Cal State Bakersfield in 2011. He is the second-winningest coach in program history and led the Roadrunners to their first (and only) NCAA Tournament appearance in 2016. He also guided his team to the NIT semifinals.
The two-time WAC Coach of the Year is one of the most respected coaches in college basketball history after a successful run at Ole Miss in the late 1990s and early 2000s, and a brief stint at Georgia State. Barnes was also named as the Naismith College Coach of the Year in 2001.
Unfortunately, Cal State Bakersfield has not finished above .500 since 2021, both in the Big West Conference and overall. It has been disappointing.
Although it was probably time for a shakeup in central California anyway, the 59-year-old head coach was not expected to resign at this point in the calendar year. The Roadrunners are 39 days out from their season-opener.
Cal State Bakersfield is dealing with controversy.
This sudden resignation comes less than one month after assistant men’s basketball coach Kevin Mays was arrested on suspicion of human trafficking and other crimes. Mays played at Cal State Bakersfield from 2014 to 2016. He was on Barnes’ staff as an assistant coach for the last six seasons.
The Bakersfield Police Department began its investigation into the 32-year-old in August after an anonymous tip claimed a woman was being trafficked across California, Oregon and Washington. Detectives later located the victim in Sacramento. She identified Mays as her alleged trafficker.
Investigators also connected Mays and the victim through traffic stops, rental car records and multiple advertisements on the internet. Officers served a warrant to arrest the assistant coach on Sept. 5.
They also searched his car and apartment. They found loaded, unregistered guns, narcotics and other evidence of drug sales.
In addition to the felony counts in connection to the pimping and pandering investigation, Mays was charged with multiple misdemeanor counts related to firearms and drug possession. He pleaded not guilty to all charges.
The legendary basketball coach is not the only collateral.
Cal State Bakersfield has not connected the resignation of Rod Barnes to the arrest of Kevin Mays even though it seems to be related— strictly in terms of optics. Barnes is not in any way connected to Mays’ alleged illegal activity but a college basketball coach would not step down at this point in the season without an impetus.
Athletic director Kyle Conder stepped down from his role after the assistant coach was arrested. This latest departure appears to be for similar reasons.
With that being said, the university has not said a bad word about its now-former head basketball coach. There is not any ill will. It was a necessary move.
“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 CSU Bakersfield President Vernon B. Harper Jr. “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.
“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. 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.”
Mike Scott has been appointed by Acting Director of Athletics Dr. Sarah Tuohy to serve as the acting head coach. The university will conduct a nationwide search for a permanent head coach.