 Barker with theToronto Argonauts in 2022 | |
| Toronto Argonauts | |
|---|---|
| Title | Director of player personnel |
| Personal information | |
| Born | (1956-08-25)August 25, 1956 (age 69) Pasadena, California, U.S.[1] |
| Career history | |
Coaching | |
| 1978–1981 | San Francisco State (AST) |
| 1982–1984 | Occidental (AST) |
| 1985–1987 | New Mexico State (AST) |
| 1988 | Nevada (AST) |
| 1989–1995 | Pomona-Pitzer (AST) |
| 1996 | Montreal Alouettes (AST) |
| 1997–1998 | Toronto Argonauts (OC/OLC) |
| 1999 | Toronto Argonauts (HC) |
| 2001 | Los Angeles Xtreme (OC) |
| 2002 | Montreal Alouettes (OC/QC) |
| 2003 | Calgary Stampeders (HC) |
| 2010–2011 | Toronto Argonauts (HC) |
| 2019–2020 | Hamilton Tiger-Cats (AST) |
Operations | |
| 2005–2007 | Calgary Stampeders (GM) |
| 2008–2009 | Calgary Stampeders (VP/Dir PP) |
| 2011–2017 | Toronto Argonauts (GM) |
| 2019–2020 | Hamilton Tiger-Cats (Consultant) |
| 2022 | Toronto Argonauts (Senior advisor) |
| 2026–present | Toronto Argonauts (Dir PP) |
| Awards and highlights | |
James Barker (born August 25, 1956)[1] is an American professionalfootball executive who is the director of player personnel for theToronto Argonauts of theCanadian Football League (CFL). Barker served as the general manager of theCalgary Stampeders from 2005 to 2007, and the Argonauts from 2011 to 2016. He was also the head coach of the Argonauts in 1999, with the Stampeders in 2003, and then again with the Argos from 2010 to 2011. He has also been asports analyst for theCFL on TSN. Barker has also served as a football operations consultant and assistant coach for theHamilton Tiger-Cats. He is a five-timeGrey Cup champion having won twice as an assistant coach and three times as a football administrator.
Barker served as an assistant college football coach atSan Francisco State (1978–81),Occidental (1982–84),[2]New Mexico State (1985–87),Nevada (1988) andPomona-Pitzer (1989–95). Barker also served as Pomona-Pitzer's headbaseball coach concurrent to his work as the Sagehens' offensive coordinator.
Barker's CFL coaching career began in1996 as a member of theMontreal Alouettes coaching staff. The Alouettes set a team record for wins, but lost in the Eastern Division Finals to the Toronto Argonauts. In1997, he was named the Argonauts' Co-Offensive Coordinator and offensive line coach and was instrumental[according to whom?] in guiding one of the best offences in CFL history. In1999 he replaced the departingDon 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 theLos Angeles Xtreme who went on to win theXFL Championship. His work with quarterbackTommy Maddox is well recognized[by whom?] as Maddox went on to win the XFL Player of the Year award and later was namedNFL Comeback Player of the Year with thePittsburgh Steelers.
In2002, Barker was hired to serve as an in-studio analyst on theAmerica One's CFL telecasts,[3] but instead joined old boss Don Matthews as offensive coordinator and quarterback coach of theMontreal Alouettes, leading them to their firstGrey Cup in over 20 years. QuarterbackAnthony Calvillo enjoyed his finest season as a pro and was theTerry Evanshen Trophy winner asEastern Division Player of the Year.
He moved to Calgary in 2003 where he served as the head coach of theCalgary Stampeders. He was fired after a 5–13 season and was replaced byMatt Dunigan.
Barker rejoined the Stampeders in2005 as general manager. He acquiredHenry Burris,Jeremaine Copeland,Rahim Abdullah, andSandro DeAngelis and played a role in the2005 CFL draft, selecting players such asJohn Comiskey,Brett Ralph, and first overall pickMiguel Robede. These changes helped turn the Stampeders' record from 4–14 to 11–7. In2006, the Stampeders finished 10–8 and lost to theSaskatchewan Roughriders in the Division Semifinals, 30–21. Barker was replaced as general manager byJohn Hufnagel after the2007 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 since2007, Barker assumed the role ofgeneral manager on December 15, 2010, replacingAdam Rita, whose contract was not renewed.[4]
The CFL announced on February 25, 2011, that Barker was the Coach of the Year for 2010, winning theAnnis Stukus Trophy. Prior to the 2012 CFL season, Barker made a trade that brought All-Star quarterbackRicky Ray from theEdmonton Eskimos to Toronto to help an offense that had struggled for some time. That move, and others, helped theArgonauts win the league's100th Grey Cup atRogers 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.[5] Barker spent the 2018 season as a TV analyst onTSN.
On January 3, 2019, theHamilton Tiger-Cats announced Barker would join the team as a football operations consultant.[6] Following the departure ofJune Jones just prior to 2019 training camp, Barker also added the title of offensive assistant for the2019 season.[7] For the 2020 season, he was also named a special teams assistant coach.[8] However, the2020 CFL season was cancelled and Barker was not retained for the2021 season.[9]
Barker re-joined theCFL on TSN broadcasts as an analyst for the2021 CFL season.[10] Following the 2021 season, on March 4, 2022, Barker agreed to re-join theToronto Argonauts as a senior advisor.[11] On April 30, 2023 Barker stepped down from his role with the Argos.[12] On May 5, 2023, it was announced that he was returning to TSN as a CFL panelist.[13]
On December 8, 2025, it was announced that Barker had re-joined the Argonauts as their director of player personnel.[14]
| Team | Year | Regular season | Postseason | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Won | Lost | Ties | Win % | Finish | Won | Lost | Result | |||
| CGY | 2005 | 11 | 7 | 0 | .611 | 2nd in West Division | 0 | 1 | Lost in West Semi-Final | |
| CGY | 2006 | 10 | 8 | 0 | .555 | 2nd in West Division | 0 | 1 | Lost in West Semi-Final | |
| CGY | 2007 | 7 | 10 | 1 | .411 | 3rd in West Division | 0 | 1 | Lost in West Semi-Final | |
| TOR | 2011 | 6 | 12 | 0 | .333 | 4th in East Division | – | – | Missed Playoffs | |
| TOR | 2012 | 9 | 9 | 0 | .500 | 2nd in East Division | 3 | 0 | WonGrey Cup | |
| TOR | 2013 | 11 | 7 | 0 | .611 | 1st in East Division | 0 | 1 | Lost in East Final | |
| TOR | 2014 | 8 | 10 | 0 | .444 | 4th in East Division | - | - | Missed Playoffs | |
| TOR | 2015 | 10 | 8 | 0 | .556 | 3rd in East Division | 0 | 1 | Lost in East Semi-Final | |
| TOR | 2016 | 5 | 13 | 0 | .444 | 4th in East Division | - | - | Missed Playoffs | |
| Total | 77 | 84 | 1 | .478 | 1 Division Championship | 3 | 5 | 1Grey Cup | ||
| Team | Year | Regular season | Postseason | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Won | Lost | Ties | Win % | Finish | Won | Lost | Result | |||
| TOR | 1999 | 9 | 9 | 0 | .500 | 3rd in East Division | 0 | 1 | Lost in East Semi-Final | |
| CGY | 2003 | 5 | 13 | 0 | .278 | 5th in West Division | – | – | Missed Playoffs | |
| TOR | 2010 | 9 | 9 | 0 | .500 | 3rd in East Division | 1 | 1 | Lost in East Final | |
| TOR | 2011 | 6 | 12 | 0 | .333 | 4th in East Division | – | – | Missed Playoffs | |
| Total | 29 | 43 | 0 | .403 | 0 Division Championships | 1 | 2 | 0Grey Cups | ||
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