BAKERSFIELD, Calif.- Head men's basketball coach Rod Barnes added to his decorated coaching career accolades on Tuesday when he was named Western Athletic Conference Don Haskins 'Coach of the Year' following a vote by the conference's eight head coaches.
Barnes, who earns his first WAC honor as 'Coach of the Year', led the Roadrunners to their best season in NCAA Division I history posting a 21-8 regular-season record, including an 11-3 finish in the WAC, a second-place finish in the regular season and the number-two seed at this week's WAC Tournament. He also coached two first-team all-conference selections (Aly Ahmed & Kevin Mays) and led a team that was credited with the 13th-best turnaround in the NCAA this season.
"I was extremely excited to hear that Coach Barnes was named the WAC Coach of the Year. It is a well-deserved honor that represents several years of hard work and great leadership by Coach Barnes," said Athletics Director Kenneth "Ziggy" Siegfried. "He has elevated our basketball program and has done so the right way."
Barnes is no stranger to coaching accolades, prior to coming to CSUB in 2011, Barnes was named both SEC Coach of the Year in 2001 and Naismith National Coach of the Year that season while leading his alma mater Ole Miss to the 2001 NCAA Sweet 16. Barnes still holds the distinction as the only coach in the history of the SEC to win both 'Player of the Year' honors (1988) and 'Coach of the Year' (2001).
The CSUB head coach joins the elite company of head men's basketball coaches to win 'Coach of the Year' awards in multiple conferences. Others include John Calipari (A-10, CUSA, SEC), Rick Petino (SEC, CUSA), Bob Huggins (CUSA, OVC, Big 12), Ben Howland (Pac-12, Big East, Big Sky) and Roy Williams (ACC, Big-12).
Barnes recorded his 264th win as a head coach during CSUB's regular-season finale on Saturday night 93-71 over Seattle. He is 78-77 during his time at CSUB including two years when the Roadrunners competed as an NCAA Division I Independent before joining the WAC in 2013.
