TORONTO — Jim Barker is back for a fourth stint with the Toronto Argonauts, this time as the director of player personnel.
The CFL team announced the return of Barker, who has won three of his five Grey Cup rings with the Argonauts, in a release Monday.
Barker began his CFL coaching career as an assistant with Montreal in 1996. He joined Toronto as an offensive co-ordinator and offensive line coach the next season, helping the Argonauts win a Grey Cup.
He was promoted to head coach in 1999 before leaving in 2001 to be an offensive co-ordinator with the XFL-champion Los Angeles Xtreme.
Barker rejoined the Argos as head coach in 2010, leading the franchise to the playoffs for the first time since 2007 and earning CFL coach of the year honours. He assumed general manager duties on Dec. 10, 2010, and his blockbuster trade with Edmonton for quarterback Ricky Ray was instrumental in the Argos’ 35-22 win over Calgary in the 100th CFL Grey Cup game in 2012.
Barker was fired after the team finished last in the league in 2016, but returned as a senior adviser in 2022, winning his third Grey Cup with the team that year.
The 69-year-old from Pasadena, Calif., also won Grey Cup rings in 2002 with Montreal, as offensive co-ordinator and quarterbacks coach, and 2008 with Calgary, as vice-president and director of player personnel.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 8, 2025.
The Canadian Press
