New Mexico State University has named Brandon Barnes as its new assistant coach for the 2025‑26 season, a move that underscores the program’s intent to bolster its coaching ranks with a proven recruiter and strategist.
A pedigree built in the G League
Barnes arrives after a stint with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, where he helped the franchise capture the 2019 NBA G League Championship and worked closely with standout talents such as Michael Frazier and Isaiah Hartenstein.
His coaching journey also includes a successful period at California State University, Bakersfield, where he contributed to six All‑Conference selections and helped the Roadrunners secure a Western Athletic Conference title.
Recruiting and player development
Barnes’s recruiting acumen shone through his work with players like Jemel Jones and Corey Stephenson, who flourished under his guidance, and his defensive schemes earned him a spot on Silver Waves Media’s Mid‑Major Top 100 Most Influential Assistants list.
Beyond the X’s and O’s, Barnes brings a personal connection to the Aggie community. His wife, Erika, and their four children — Andrew, Soraya, Ethan and Brandon II — are eager to settle in Las Cruces, a city he already knows through his family’s relationship with former Aggie great Rob Evans.
A former player at CSU Bakersfield and Lipscomb University, Barnes graduated with a degree in business administration, concentrating on marketing, and he now looks to translate that entrepreneurial mindset into player development on the court.