Jim Barker to join the Ticats: report

The Hamilton Tiger-Cats will be adding former Toronto Argonauts general manager Jim Barker to their football operations staff, according to Sportsnet’s Arash Madani.

Per #CFL sources: Expect Jim Barker to join the Ti-Cats football operations staff.

Was last the Argos GM, and worked with the panel on television.

— Arash Madani (@ArashMadani) January 3, 2019

The 62-year-old Barker is a long-time CFL executive who first joined the league as a coach with the Montreal Alouettes in 1996. He’s been head coach of the Argonauts twice, spent five years with the Calgary Stampeders and was GM in Toronto for seven seasons before being fired after the 2016 season.

He’s won four Grey Cups during his time in the CFL.

Barker will join the Ticats after the departure of GM Eric Tillman, whose contract expired at the end of the December. He joins a front office that includes assistant general managers Shawn Burke and Drew Allemang and is expected to add Spencer Zimmerman, who Barker hired away from the Ticats while in Toronto.

Barker also has ties with new Hamilton head coach Orlondo Steinauer from their time in Toronto.

Jim Barker will serve as consultant to the @Ticats. #CFL #Ticats

— Dave Naylor (@TSNDaveNaylor) January 3, 2019