Jim Barker's coaching career started in 1978 in the U.S college ranks. Barker srved as an assistant coach at San Francisco State, Occidental University, New Mexico State, University of Nevada Reno and Pomona-Pitzer Barker's first head coaching job was also with Pomona-Piter.
Jim Barker's CFL roots go back to 1996 when he was an assistant coach with the newly reconstituted Montreal Alouettes. Barker moved on to become an assistant coach with the Toronto Argonauts in 1997 and 1998 before assuming head coaching duties with the Argos for one season in 1999. Barke spent the 2000 season with te Los Angelas Invaders of the short lived XFL. Barker's next port of call in the CFL was back to Montreal as an assistant coach in 2002. In 2003, Barker took over as the head coach of the Calgary Stampeders for a single season. In a slightly odd twist, Barker was fired as the Stampeder's head coach, but then returned to serve as the Stampeder GM for three seasons from 2005 to 2007. After their 2007 loss to Saskatchewan in the West fina, Barker was moved upstairs to a VP position while John Hufnagel took over as Head Coach and GM. Barker returned to the Argos in 2010 as Head Coach and added GM duties in 2011. In 2012 Barker turned over the head coaching duties to Scott Milanovich while retaining his GM responsibilities.
Jim Barker with the Toronto Argonauts
