It is well documented that the Toronto Argonauts have won the Grey Cup a record 19 times. After two recent high-profile additions, the three men who head the Argos personnel department have a combined 18 championship rings.
General Manager Michael “Pinball” Clemons has eight CFL titles to his name, while “newcomers” John Hufnagel and Jim Barker have five rings each. Hufnagel’s title is senior advisor to the general manager and head coach, while Barker will begin his fourth tour of duty with the Double Blue, this time as the director of player personnel.
Hufnagel’s signing was the shocker of the two, having spent the last 18 years with the Calgary Stampeders, and another seven seasons before that, with time in the NFL and arena league sandwiched in between.
“It’s very surprising,” Hufnagel admitted to Argonauts.ca. “I was just about ready to sign in Calgary when Toronto called them for permission to talk to me. They were kind of moving in a different direction in Calgary, but we were still pursuing a contract. Then the Double Blue called and I talked to Michael about the job. I was very excited about it and I’m glad it worked out.”
Seeing the man credited by most for Calgary’s great multi-decade run as the league’s alpha dog now wearing Double Blue may take some getting used to, though he said that he was wearing an Argos hat during his phone conversation with this humble typist, adding with a smile, “People say I look good in blue.”
Conversely, seeing Jim Barker in Argo gear will be a familiar sight as this is his fourth tenure with the team. He’s been an assistant coach, head coach, general manager, advisor, and now director of player personnel.
“I got a call from Pinball,” Barker explained to Argonauts.ca. “He asked if I was interested in potentially coming back. It took me about a second and a half to say I’m very interested. We talked more and I talked to Keith Pelley and ultimately it all came together.”
Asking Barker if he’s glad to be back with the Argos was like asking Michael Clemons if he likes to smile.
“How happy is it possible for a man to be? That’s how happy I am to be back,” said Barker. “I live three minutes from the office. It’s been such a big part of my life.”
But there’s more to the job than looking good in the team colours or living near the stadium. The Argos were a 5-13 team in 2025 and have some work to do. There’s a good core group in place, but there are some holes to fill for new head coach Mike Miller to work with.
Hufnagel will work from his home in Cochrane, Alberta, though he’ll join the team for free agency, the draft, and training camp. Right now, he’s in an Argos roster crash course, evaluating in detail what the team looks like through his eyes.
“I’m going over the roster, seeing how many people we have, who they are in different positions, and who the free agents are,” said the former quarterback. “I haven’t talked with the two Mikes yet (Clemons and Miller) about what their thoughts are going forward; I have a pretty good handle of who needs to be signed, but I don’t know who their priorities are to be signed.”
He does like what he’s seen so far on his deep dive.
“Toronto has a lot of talent,” Hufnagel said. “Their record is not indicative of the talent that they have. Like every team, you need to handle injuries, and they had a lot, but they have a good core and I’m hoping they can re-sign a lot of their free agents to keep that good core that they have.”
After so long in Calgary it’s understandable that the Canadian Football Hall of Famer is still referring to the Argos as “they” and not “we”. It may be even more confusing as he’s reunited with Barker, with whom he worked in Calgary for a couple of seasons.
“I really admire him as a football man,” Barker said of his friend. “He’s brilliant in what he does, and he brings an experience level and so much to the table that it will be a great resource for Mike and also for me.”
Like Hufnagel, Barker is breaking down the Argos roster and trying to figure out where the priorities are. He notes that anytime you have a new coach you’re going to looking for a different type of player, while noting that the team’s quarterback room is as strong as any in the league.
Barker is also aware that Miller’s priority is finalizing his coaching staff.
“We haven’t started talking yet about personnel,” said Barker of Miller. “He needs to get his staff set first and that’s a priority. I’m just getting everything organized, so when he’s ready we can rip through the film on these players and make the decisions that are best for the organization.”
It’s hard to fathom that the Argos have added two CFL legends in the span of four days, but that’s the reality. Watching how this team evolves over the next few months should be fascinating.