Career
He previously served as head coach for the Georgia State University men"s basketball team of the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I"s Colonial Athletic Association. Barnes was also head coach of the men"s basketball team at the University of Mississippi. Barnes played college basketball at the University of Mississippi of the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I"s Southeastern Conference from 1985 to 1988.
He earned All-Securities and Exchange Commission and All-America honorable mention honors in 1988.
Barnes earned his Business Administration degree in 1989 and left Ole Mission to become an assistant coach at Livingston University in 1990. In 1993, Barnes returned to Ole Mission to serve as an assistant coach to Rob Evans.
When Rob Evans departed for Arizona State University in 1998, Barnes was promoted to head coach of Ole Mississippi Barnes coached them for eight seasons, building a 141–109 record.
However, Barnes would only garner one other winning season after the Sweet 16 appearance.
He was fired after the 2005-2006 season in which Ole Mission started 13–3 but lost 13 of their last 14 games. Barnes served as an assistant coach at the University of Oklahoma during the 2006-2007 season. On March 19, 2007, Barnes was hired as the head coach of the men"s basketball team at Georgia State University of the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I"s Colonial Athletic Association.
On February 26, 2011, it was announced that Barnes would not return as head coach at Georgia State.
On March 30th, 2011 Rod Barnes was named head men"s basketball coach at Cal State Bakersfield.