Jim Barker

Barker served as an assistant college football coach at San Francisco State (1978–81), Occidental (1982–84),{{Cite web|url=http://www.oxyathletics.com/sports/fball/alumni/WhereAreTheyNow |title=Home of the Tigers – Occidental College |publisher=OxyAthletics.com |access-date=March 22, 2011}} New Mexico State (1985–87), Nevada (1988) and Pomona-Pitzer (1989–95). Barker also served as Pomona-Pitzer's head baseball coach concurrent to his work as the Sagehens' offensive coordinator.

Barker's CFL coaching career began in 1996 as a member of the Montreal Alouettes coaching staff. The Alouettes set a team record for wins, but lost in the Eastern Division Finals to the Toronto Argonauts. In 1997, he was named the Argonauts' Co-Offensive Coordinator and offensive line coach and was instrumental{{According to whom|date=August 2017}} in guiding one of the best offences in CFL history. In 1999 he replaced the departing Don Matthews as head coach of the Argonauts, becoming the youngest head coach in the CFL.

In 2000, he moved back to the United States and was the offensive coordinator of the Los Angeles Xtreme who went on to win the XFL Championship. His work with quarterback Tommy Maddox is well recognized{{By whom|date=August 2017}} as Maddox went on to win the XFL Player of the Year award and later was named NFL Comeback Player of the Year with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

In 2002, Barker was hired to serve as an in-studio analyst on the America One's CFL telecasts,{{Cite web|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/cfl-hits-american-airwaves-1.259309 |title=CFL hits American airwaves |publisher=CBC |location=Canada |date=November 9, 2001 |access-date=March 22, 2011}} but instead joined old boss Don Matthews as offensive coordinator and quarterback coach of the Montreal Alouettes, leading them to their first Grey Cup in over 20 years. Quarterback Anthony Calvillo enjoyed his finest season as a pro and was the Terry Evanshen Trophy winner as Eastern Division Player of the Year.

He moved to Calgary in 2003 where he served as the head coach of the Calgary Stampeders. He was fired after a 5–13 season and was replaced by Matt Dunigan.

Barker rejoined the Stampeders in 2005 as general manager. He acquired Henry Burris, Jeremaine Copeland, Rahim Abdullah, and Sandro DeAngelis and played a role in the 2005 CFL Draft, selecting players such as John Comiskey, Brett Ralph, and first overall pick Miguel Robede. These changes helped turn the Stampeders' record from 4–14 to 11–7. In 2006, the Stampeders finished 10–8 and lost to the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the Division Semifinals, 30–21. Barker was replaced as general manager by John Hufnagel after the 2007 season. He was reassigned to the position of senior vice-president of football operations and director of player personnel.

On February 9, 2010, Barker returned to the Toronto Argonauts for his second stint as their head coach. After leading the Argos to the playoffs for the first time since 2007, Barker assumed the role of general manager on December 15, 2010, replacing Adam Rita, whose contract was not renewed.{{Cite web|url=https://www.tsn.ca/cfl/story/?id=345565 |title=Argos' coach Barker adds general manager role; Rita out |publisher=Tsn.ca |date=December 15, 2010 |access-date=March 22, 2011}}

The CFL announced on February 25, 2011, that Barker was the Coach of the Year for 2010, winning the Annis Stukus Trophy. Prior to the 2012 CFL season, Barker made a trade that brought All-Star quarterback Ricky Ray from the Edmonton Eskimos to Toronto to help an offense that had struggled for some time. That move, and others, helped the Argonauts win the league's 100th Grey Cup at Rogers Centre.

After six seasons as the general manager of the Argonauts and compiling a 49–59 record in that time span, Barker was fired on January 24, 2017.{{cite web|url=https://www.cfl.ca/2017/01/24/argos-part-ways-gm-jim-barker/|title=Argos part ways with GM Jim Barker|author=|date=January 24, 2017|website=CFL.ca|access-date=August 4, 2017}} Barker spent the 2018 season as a TV analyst on TSN.

On January 3, 2019, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats announced Barker would join the team as a football operations consultant.{{cite news|url=https://www.cfl.ca/2019/01/03/ticats-announce-football-operations-staff-2019/|title=Ticats announce football operations staff for 2019|date=January 3, 2019}} Following the departure of June Jones just prior to 2019 training camp, Barker also added the title of offensive assistant for the 2019 season.{{cite news|url=https://www.thespec.com/opinion/columnists/2019/09/06/steve-milton-from-sideline-controversy-to-sideline-coach.html|title=Steve Milton: From sideline controversy to sideline coach|newspaper=The Hamilton Spectator|date=September 6, 2019}} For the 2020 season, he was also named a special teams assistant coach.{{cite web|url=https://ticats.ca/article/tiger-cats-announce-2020-coaching-staff|title=Tiger-Cats announce 2020 coaching staff|publisher=Hamilton Tiger-Cats|date=February 6, 2020}} However, the 2020 CFL season was cancelled and Barker was not retained for the 2021 season.{{cite web|url=https://ticats.ca/article/tiger-cats-announce-2021-coaching-staff|title=Tiger-Cats announce 2021 coaching staff|publisher=Hamilton Tiger-Cats|date=January 1, 2021}}

Barker re-joined the CFL on TSN broadcasts as an analyst for the 2021 CFL season.{{cite web|url=https://www.bellmedia.ca/the-lede/press/rise-with-us-canada-returns-to-the-gridiron-as-the-2021-cfl-on-tsn-season-kicks-off-august-5/ |title=Rise With Us: Canada Returns to the Gridiron as the 2021 CFL ON TSN Season Kicks Off August 5 |publisher=Bell Media |date=January 1, 2021}} Following the 2021 season, on March 4, 2022, Barker agreed to re-join the Toronto Argonauts as a senior advisor.{{Cite web |date=2022-03-04 |title=Argos hire four-time Grey Cup Champion Jim Barker and promote Magri and Russell |url=https://www.argonauts.ca/2022/03/04/argos-hire-four-time-grey-cup-champion-jim-barker-and-promote-magri-and-russell/ |access-date=2022-03-06 |website=Toronto Argonauts |language=en}} On April 30, 2023 Barker stepped down from his role with the Argos.{{Cite web |author=3Down Staff |date=2023-04-30 |title=Senior advisor Jim Barker leaving Argos, will return to TSN: report |url=https://3downnation.com/2023/04/30/senior-advisor-jim-barker-leaving-argos-will-return-to-tsn-report/ |access-date=2023-05-08 |website=3DownNation |language=en-US}} On May 5, 2023, it was announced that he was returning to TSN as a CFL panelist.{{Cite web |author=3Down Staff |date=2023-05-08 |title=Offer to return to CFL on TSN panel 'too good not to take' for former Argos exec Jim Barker |url=https://3downnation.com/2023/05/08/offer-to-return-to-cfl-on-tsn-panel-too-good-not-to-take-for-former-argos-exec-jim-barker/ |access-date=2023-05-08 |website=3DownNation |language=en-US}}

{{Reflist|30em}}

• [http://www.argonauts.ca/page/jim-barker Toronto Argonauts profile]
• [http://www.torontosun.com/sports/columnists/bill_lankhof/2010/05/31/14205611.html "Jim Barker: The Gambler (Toronto Sun profile article on Barker, May 31, 2010)]

{{Toronto Argonauts coach navbox}}

{{Toronto Argonauts general manager navbox}}

{{Calgary Stampeders coach navbox}}

{{Calgary Stampeders general manager navbox}}

{{90th Grey Cup}}

{{100th Grey Cup}}

{{Annis Stukus Trophy}}

{{CFL on TSN}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Barker, Jim}}

Category:1956 births

Category:Living people

Category:Calgary Stampeders coaches

Category:Calgary Stampeders general managers

Category:Nevada Wolf Pack football coaches

Category:New Mexico State Aggies football coaches

Category:Occidental Tigers baseball coaches

Category:Occidental Tigers football coaches

Category:Pomona-Pitzer Sagehens football coaches

Category:San Francisco State Gators football coaches

Category:Toronto Argonauts coaches

Category:Toronto Argonauts general managers

Category:Los Angeles Xtreme coaches

Category:San Francisco State University alumni

Category:University of Southern California alumni

Category:Sportspeople from Pasadena, California