BAKERSFIELD, Calif.(KBAK/KBFX) — California State University, Bakersfield Athletics announced on Tuesday, March 24, that Whitney Pitalo, head coach of the Roadrunner women’s soccer team, has stepped down to pursue other opportunities. CSUB did not mention where Pitalo will head next.
Associate head coach Martin Navarro Jr. will serve as interim head coach through the end of the calendar year, announced CSUB.
Martin Navarro, interim CSUB women’s soccer coach. Courtesy: CSUB Athletics
Pitalo arrived in Bakersfield in Feb. 2025 after serving most recently as assistant coach roles at Boston College (2024) and Gonzaga (2023), and Corban University head women’s soccer coach (2022). Pitalo, a USC alum, played defense for the Trojans women’s soccer program from 2012 to 2016.
Pitalo’s departure follows a year of coaching changes at CSUB, including women’s head basketball coach Ari Wideman being placed on administrative leave in early March after her hiring in May 2024. No reason for the move was mentioned by the university.
Men’s basketball head coach Rod Barnes stepped away from the program in Sept. 2025, after 14 seasons with the Roadrunners. Director of Athletics Kyle Conder departed that same month.
CSUB Men’s Basketball Head Coach Rod Barnes. PHOTO: CSUB
Several coaching changes have taken place in the swimming and diving program, most recently when Director Eric Bugby announced his resignation in October 2025.
These coaching changes took place just before or after former CSUB assistant men’s basketball coach Kevin Mays ‘ arrest in early September for allegedly trafficking a woman across three states.
Navarro joined the women’s soccer program in 2022 as a graduate assistant, became an assistant coach in 2023, and was named associate head coach following the end of the 2025 season this winter.
Dr. Sarah Tuohy, CSUB’s Acting Director of Athletics, commented on the coaches:
Comment with Bubbles
BE THE FIRST TO COMMENT
“Coach Pitalo has made a lasting impact on our program and student-athletes, and we are grateful for her leadership and dedication. While we will miss her, we wish her continued success as she begins her next chapter.”
“Coach Navarro’s continuity and commitment to our program make him a natural fit for this role,” Tuohy stated. “His deep ties to Bakersfield and long-standing commitment to our program, having served on the past three staffs, make him uniquely prepared to lead. He understands our culture, our expectations, and most importantly, our student-athletes. We are in excellent hands moving forward.”