Kevin Mays served as an assistant coach at Cal State Bakersfield, but the men’s college basketball program didn’t realize his other unsavory business.
Local police allege that the California school’s basketball team was rocked by Mays’ criminal behavior, including the former Cal State Bakersfield player moonlighting as a pimp.
An ESPN report lays out Mays’ alleged involvement as a pimp across four different states while serving as an assistant coach with the Roadrunners. Back in August 2025, the situation came to light when the school received an anonymous tip.
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Police say a coach on the Cal State Bakersfield men’s basketball program was moonlighting as a pimp across four states.
Multiple dismissals have occurred at Cal State Bakersfield as an investigation probes who knew what and when. https://t.co/kiSGNnMfiI
— ESPN (@espn) March 5, 2026
Former head basketball coach Rod Barnes was made aware of Mays’ alleged malfeasance, which includes a rap sheet with 11 criminal and misdemeanor charges.
“HE IS TRAFFICKING A GIRL BY THE NAME OF [redacted],” an email to Barnes read, according to police records. “HE HAS BEEN TRAFFICKING THIS GIRL SINCE MAY.”
The month following the initial tip, Barnes and Cal State Bakersfield athletic director Kyle Conder both left their respective roles. Since then, the Roadrunners fell to last place in the Big West conference.
ESPN reported that Mays only took the job at his alma mater as a part-time assistant for roughly $3,000 monthly. However, the Roadrunners weren’t aware of Mays’ criminal behavior based on an initial background check in 2019.
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Cal State-Bakersfield basketball player goes for a loose ball during an NCAA Division 1 basketball game.
Anonymous emails revealed that Mays also identifies himself as an avid gambler. The tips revealed that Mays allegedly operated his pimping out of California, Nevada, Oregon and Washington.
Meanwhile, police set up a critical sting operation in September 2025 to catch Mays’ “girlfriend” who operated as a sex worker. Her claims revealed that Mays paid for many of her trips but she never claimed that he was her pimp.
From 2014 to 2016, Mays played for the Roadrunners after joining Cal State Bakersfield from Maryland Eastern Shore. ESPN indicates that Mays had plans of continuing his career by playing pro basketball overseas, but that never came to fruition before getting into coaching.
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