Barnes joins NM State after seven seasons at CSU Bakersfield

Lawrence Thomas, New Mexico State University

LAS CRUCES - New Mexico State Head Coach Jason Hooten has added to his staff ahead of the 2026-27 men's basketball season with the addition of Brandon Barnes as an assistant coach.

“We are thrilled to welcome Brandon to Aggie Nation,” said Hooten. “Throughout his coaching career, Brandon has gained valuable experience at multiple levels of basketball while working under several highly respected and successful head coaches. What stood out to me most, however, was his strong foundation in the game through his father, Rod Barnes, a man I have tremendous respect for both professionally and personally.”

Hooten also highlighted Barnes’ ties to the NM State program through former Aggie great Rob Evans, who has a longstanding relationship with the Barnes family and is Brandon’s godfather. “The connection to our program runs even deeper, as one of Coach Barnes’ closest friends — and Brandon’s godfather — is former Aggie great Rob Evans,” Hooten said. “That speaks volumes about the character, values and basketball background Brandon brings with him.”

Barnes arrives at NM State following a seven-year stint as an assistant coach at California State Bakersfield, where he helped the Roadrunners produce six All-Conference selections, including First Team All-Conference honoree Taze Moore in 2021. Among the standouts Barnes recruited and coached were former Aggie Jemel Jones and FIU standout Corey Stephenson, both of whom earned All-CUSA Second Team recognition during the 2025-26 season while leading their respective teams in scoring.

Off the court, CSU Bakersfield also totaled nine Academic All-Conference selections during his time on staff. Barnes was also recognized nationally during his tenure, earning a spot on Silver Waves Media’s Mid-Major Top 100 Most Influential Assistants list.

“Brandon’s passion for recruiting and player development is exactly what successful programs are built on,” Hooten added. “He has a proven ability to connect with student-athletes and help them grow both on and off the court.”

Prior to returning to Bakersfield, Barnes spent the 2018-19 season with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, the NBA G League affiliate of the Houston Rockets. Serving as an assistant coach and defensive coordinator, Barnes helped guide the Vipers to the 2019 NBA G League Championship. Rio Grande Valley also saw four players earn NBA call-ups that season, including Gary Payton II, Bruno Caboclo, Michael Frazier II and Brandon Sampson. Barnes also worked closely with the G League’s Most Improved Player, Michael Frazier, along with Rockets assignee and G League Finals MVP Isaiah Hartenstein, who is currently a member of the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Known for his defensive approach, Barnes helped engineer a major turnaround on that end of the floor for the Vipers. Under his guidance, Rio Grande Valley finished among the G League’s top teams in steals, blocks, opponent field goal percentage and turnovers forced while posting its best defensive efficiency rating since the 2012-13 campaign.

Barnes previously served as Director of Basketball Operations at CSU Bakersfield during the 2016-17 and 2017-18 seasons, helping the Roadrunners capture their first Western Athletic Conference regular-season title and make a memorable run to the NIT semifinals at Madison Square Garden.

Barnes began his coaching career at Costa Mesa High School before taking over as head coach at Perris High School in California. In his lone season leading the Panthers, he guided the program to an 18-6 overall record, an 8-2 mark in league play and a berth in the CIF Division 2AA semifinals.

Before beginning his coaching career, Barnes was a standout player at CSU Bakersfield after transferring from Lipscomb University. During his two seasons with the Roadrunners, he averaged 11 points and five rebounds per game while shooting 44% from the field. Barnes was part of the program’s transition into the WAC during the 2013-14 season.

Barnes earned his degree in business administration with a concentration in marketing from CSU Bakersfield in 2014. He and his wife, Erika, have four children: Andrew, Soraya, Ethan and Brandon II.

“We are excited to welcome Brandon and his family to Las Cruces and look forward to the impact he will have on our program, our university and our community,” Hooten said.

Lawrence Thomas is an Athletic Media Specialist for New Mexico State University. He can be reached at thomasl@nmsu.edu.