Jim Barker

1 Biography
2 Statistics
3 References
4 Related Articles
- 4.1 Recent Jim Barker ArmchairGM Stories

[edit] Biography

CFL:

Entering 8th Season

Stampeders:

Entering 3rd Season

Jim re-rejoined the Stampeder Football Club in 2005 with a diverse background through his involvement in several Football Leagues. He carries a great eye for talent for those players who are uniquely suited for the Canadian Football League and with his previous experience as an assistant/head coach Jim has the advantage of knowing the needs of the organization on the football field.

In 2005, Barker acquired several big key components which included: Henry Burris, Jeremaine Copeland, Alexandre Gauthier, Ken-Yon Rambo, Rahim Abdullah, Randy Chevrier, David Allen, Jermaine Chatman, Burke Dales, Sandro DeAngelis, Terrence Patrick, Coby Rhinehart, Wes Lysack, Tony Stallings and Trey Young. These changes were several of the moves in which turned the Stampeders record from 4-14 to 11-7. He also played a big role in the 2005 Canadian College Draft in which the Stampeders selected players such as Offensive Lineman Godfrey Ellis, John Comiskey, Kyler Jukes and Receiver Brett Ralph along with 1st overall pick Miguel Robede.

Jim has coached football for over 30 years. He began coaching 10 & 11 year olds in Arcadia, CA and is now recognized throughout North America as one of pre-eminent experts in his field. He is one of the few individuals in U.S. college football history that has experience at every level of the NCAA. In seven seasons of professional football he has coached three Championship clubs - two Grey Cups and the only XFL Championship ever. He has worked with some of the finest coaches in the history of the CFL including Don Matthews, the career wins leader amongst CFL coaches, and Ray Jauch, the very successful former Head Coach of the Edmonton Eskimos and Saskatchewan Roughriders.

His full-time career in Canada began in 1996 as a member of the Montreal Alouettes coaching staff. The Alouettes set a club record for wins that year, but lost in the Eastern Division Finals to the eventual Grey Cup champion Toronto Argonauts. In 1997, he was named the Co-Offensive Coordinator and Offensive Line Coach for Toronto and was instrumental in guiding an offense that many experts have called the greatest in the history of the CFL. In 1999 he was named the Head Coach of the Argonauts and became the youngest head coach in the CFL. Following the sale of that team in 2000 he moved back to the U.S. and coached the Los Angeles Xtreme to the only XFL Championship that league ever knew. His work with quarterback Tommy Maddox is well documented as Maddox went on to win the XFL Player of the Year award in 2001 and was named the NFL Comeback Player of the Year with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Barker then came back to Canada and again joined with Don Matthews as the Offensive Coordinator and Quarterback Coach to take the 2002 Montreal Alouettes to their first Grey Cup Championship in over 20 years. His quarterback, Anthony Calvillo, enjoyed his finest season as a pro and was named the Eastern Division Player of the Year. He then moved to Calgary where he served for one season as the Head Coach of the Calgary Stampeders.

Jim received his B.A. in Physical Education from USC in 1978 and his M.A. from San Francisco State University in 1984. Jim lives in Calgary with his wife Robin and they are the proud parents of four daughters - Erin, Lisa, Kate and Holly and grandparents to Heather, Brendan and Ricky.