Barker Named Coach Of The Year

ARGONAUTS.CA STAFF

VANCOUVER – In a special presentation held today at the Fairmont Waterfront Hotel in Vancouver, Toronto Argonauts GM & Head Coach Jim Barker was named the 2010 CFL Coach of the Year. Argos’ team captain Jeremaine Copeland joined CFL Commissioner Mark Cohon in presenting the award to Barker.

Barker becomes the first Argonauts head coach to win the coveted Annis Stukus trophy since CFL Hall of Fame builder Don Matthews took home the prize in 1997. Including this year, Argos head coaches have won the award just six times, by five different people (Matthews in 1997, Adam Rita in 1991, Bob O’Billovich in 1982 & 1987 and Leo Cahill in 1971).

In his return to Toronto as Head Coach, Barker transformed a team that had won seven games in two years and led them back to the playoffs with 10 wins, including a berth in the 2010 Eastern Division Final. Barker and his staff reintroduced exciting football to the city of Toronto and made 2010 a year full of optimism and growth. He cultivated the talents of all-stars like Cory Boyd and Chad Owens, and introduced veteran leadership by bringing in WR Jeremaine Copeland. He returned discipline to the locker room and the Argos finished as the least penalized team in the league last year. By season’s end, his roster boasted eight first-year starters along with seven division all-stars and four CFL all-stars. Following his successful season, Barker was promoted to General Manager & Head Coach.

CFL veteran Jeremaine Copeland, who has won three different championships as a member of Barker’s teams, surprised both Barker and the audience when he entered the room and took the podium to assist with the trophy presentation. Barker and Copeland first teamed up to win an XFL championship in 2001, and have since brought Grey Cup titles to Montreal (2002) and Calgary (2008).

Commented Copeland, “Congratulations to Coach Barker for winning the Coach of the Year Award – it’s well earned.  He turned our team around and led us one game away from the Grey Cup.  He’s a great coach that has the respect of his players.  He’s not scared to be emotional about his love for the game and his love for us as Argos players. I know this is just the start of even greater things for the Argos with Coach Barker as our leader.”

The Argonauts’ very first coach of the year in 1971, whose legacy in Toronto transcends decades, Leo Cahill commented, “As a student of the game, I’ve watched Jim Barker’s progress; watched both his offence and his defence, and I can’t find anything in his makeup or the way he manages the game and its players that doesn’t set him up for success. He’s been a football administrator before but I believe his niche is on the field as a coach. It’s obvious that his players feel this and they have respect for him, and that’s key. The most impressive thing I saw from Jim is that even after a loss, he remained positive, choosing to focus on the team’s improvement. Sure enough, the team seemed to bounce back. He had his team believing and even the city of Toronto believing. When the time was right, when the tape was on, and when the band was playing he backed up everything he said.”

The 2010 CFL Coach of the Year was selected by 49 voting members of the Football Reporters of Canada. Barker, who received 35 votes, was up against Montreal’s Marc Trestman and Saskatchewan’s Ken Miller for this year’s award.