Kevin Mays sentenced to four years for pimping and child pornography

Former California State University, Bakersfield assistant basketball coach Kevin Mays was sentenced Thursday to four years in state prison and ordered to register as a sex offender for life. Mays pleaded no contest to felony charges of pimping, possession of child pornography and possession of a controlled substance while armed, receiving credit for 660 days already served.

Investigators said Mays ran a prostitution operation that spanned California, Oregon and Nevada, using his university position to rent a luxury car, book hotel rooms and arrange flights for a 22‑year‑old woman. The case began after an anonymous tip to CSUB head coach Rod Barnes in August 2025, leading to Mays' arrest, dismissal of eight additional charges in a plea agreement, and his termination from the basketball program.