In now his seventh season with CSUB, Barnes has spent the last five seasons as an Assistant Coach. The `Runners have also produced six All-Conference honorees (Taze Moore 2021, Justin Edler-Davis 2021, Justin McCall 2022, Antavion Collum 2023, Kaleb Higgins 2024, and Jemel Jones 2025), including a First Team nod in 2021 (Taze Moore). In the classroom, the `Runners have also enjoyed nine Academic All-Conference nods in his tenure.

Prior to his present day stint with CSUB, Barnes the defensive coordinator of the Houston Rockets’ NBA G-League affliate, the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, helping them move from the bottom of the G-League in nearly every category to at least Top 10 in, defensive rebounds, steals (3rd), Blocks (2nd), opponent FG% (5th), and turnovers forced (5th). Rio Grande Valley helped four G-League players earn call-ups to the NBA in 2018-19 including Gary Payton II, Bruno Caboclo, Michael Frazier II, and Brandon Sampson. Barnes worked closely with the G-League’s Most Improved Player, Michael Frazier, as well as Rockets assignee and G-League Finals MVP Isaiah Hartenstein, who played 28 games with the Rockets. Barnes helped the squad win the 2019 G-League Championship as the Vipers defeated the Long Island Nets in Game 3 of the Finals, 129-112. 

In the 2016-17 and 2017-18 seasons, Barnes served as the Director of Basketball Operations for CSUB, his alma mater. During his first stint with the `Runners, he helped the team win its first Western Athletic Conference regular-season title and guided CSUB through a historic run to the NIT semifinals in Madison Square Garden. 

Following his playing career Barnes began his coaching career at Costa Mesa High School in Costa Mesa, Calif. He was the head coach of the frosh/soph team in 2014-15 before being named head coach of the Perris High School boys’ varsity team, where he led the Panthers to an 18-6 record and an 8-2 mark in league play. The Panthers also appeared in the Division 2AA CIF semifinals, where the fell to the eventual champion, Ayala. 

As a student-athlete, Barnes played for Lipscomb University and Cal State Bakersfield. At Lipscomb he averaged 6.4 points and 3.6 rebounds per game before transferring to CSUB. In his two years as a Roadrunner, he averaged 10.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game. In the 2012-13 season he led the `Runners in rebounds per game (5.3) and posted double digit performances in 21-of-30 appearances. Barnes graduated from CSUB in 2014 with a business administration degree (marketing concentration).