JimBarker

Jim Barker

General Manager & Head Coach for the Toronto Argonauts

Three-time Grey Cup champion Jim Barker has had a long and prosperous career as a celebrated football coach and executive. Throughout his 30-year career, Barker has been recognized as one of the preeminent experts in coaching, and an important part of the management and development aspects of various football organizations. As the current head coach of the Toronto Argonauts, his experience and smarts continue to help him shine on and off of the field. An emotional, evocative and inspiring speaker, Barker’s practical and relevant presentations offer various audiences a unique perspective.


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Three-time Grey Cup champion Jim Barker has had a long and prosperous career as a celebrated football coach and executive. As the current General Manager & Head Coach of the Toronto Argonauts, his experience and smarts has helped him shine on and off of the field, winning him the Annus Stukus trophy for CFL Coach of the Year in 2010.

Throughout his 30-year coaching career, Barker has been recognized as one of the preeminent experts in coaching. Named the 2010 CFL Coach of the Year, Barker began his distinguished career by coaching 10- and 11-year-olds in Arcadia, CA, and he moved on to work with some of the finest coaches in the history of the Canadian Football League including Don Matthews and Ray Jauch, the former Head Coach of the Edmonton Eskimos and Saskatchewan Roughriders.

Barker is one of the few individuals in U.S. college football history with experience at every level of the NCAA. He has coached three championship clubs – two Grey Cups and one XFL championship. His full-time coaching career in Canada began in 1996 on the staff of the Montreal Alouettes. In 1997, he was named the Co-Offensive Coordinator and Offensive Line Coach for the Toronto Argonauts, and in 1999, he was named Head Coach of the Argos.

Following the sale of the Argos in 2000, Barker moved back to the U.S. and coached the Los Angeles Xtreme to the first and only XFL championship. His work with quarterback Tommy Maddox is well documented as Maddox went on to win the XFL Player of the Year award and in 2002, was named the NFL Comeback Player of the Year with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Barker then returned to Canada as an Offensive Coordinator and Quarterbacks Coach where he helped take the 2002 Alouettes to their first Grey Cup championship in 25 years. He moved to Calgary in 2003, where he served for one season as Head Coach of the Stampeders.

His recent track record as an evaluator and executive with the Calgary Stampeders is unquestionable. He rejoined the Stampeders in 2005 as the club’s General Manager and the team catapulted from its last place finish (4-14) in 2004 to second place in the West with a confident 11-7 record in just one season. At the end of 2007, Barker transitioned into the role of Senior Vice President, Football Operations/Director, Player Personnel, and the club continued to thrive. In all, Barker’s Calgary teams made the post-season in five consecutive seasons from 2005-2009.

As a coach and executive, his experience and understanding of football and the organization in general is unparalleled. An emotional, evocative and inspiring speaker, Barker’s relevant presentations on leadership, team building, work culture, trust and organizational development offer various audiences a unique perspective.

  • 8. Developing Trust

  • 7. Goal-Setting and Future Development (for youth and/or employees)

  • 6. Relating to and Inspiring Youth

  • 5. Weight Loss

  • 4. Maximizing Individual Potential

  • 3. Building a Positive Work Culture

  • 2. Team-Building

  • 1. Leadership