Barlow moves from field to coaching box

After graduating from Princeton, Jim Barlow '91 wasn't quite sure what to do. So he accepted a job as a high school history teacher — at least, that's what he thought he would be teaching. His first semester, however, he was assigned five senior economics classes.

Fortunately, though he wasn't drawing on his experience as a history major, he was able to draw on his experience as co-captain of Princeton's men's soccer team: he was also asked to be the assistant coach of the soccer team.

As the current men's soccer coach at his alma mater, he can likewise draw from his own experience to help current students have a similarly rewarding college career.

"I had a great experience, both as a student and as an athlete," Barlow said, "and I want to allow players here to have a similar experience."

It's not surprising to see why Barlow enjoyed his student years so much. He was named Ivy League Rookie of the Year in 1987 and Ivy League Player of the Year in 1990, was part of the team that qualified for the NCAA tournament in 1989 and was selected for the All-Ivy first team three times. But above all, he stresses the environment that his coach, Bob Bradley '80, helped to create.

Bradley, the coach with the highest winning record in Major League Soccer history, had been Barlow's coach not only while he was at Princeton but also when he played for the Union Lancers before starting college. Barlow's respect for him, however, goes well beyond mere history.

"[Bradley] created an environment that challenged us, that pushed us in many ways. He placed responsibility on the players to develop and perform," Barlow said. And in the end, he found an open environment where the players could "talk honestly and look out for each other."

It's this environment Barlow strives to create and maintain as coach. After all, "coaching was a way for me to stay in the game," he said, and that doesn't just mean what happens on the field.

Barlow hadn't considered coaching as a career before his days teaching high school, but the very next year he was offered the position of assistant coach at American University while he pursued his Masters degree. In 1996, he returned to Princeton to fill the vacancy left by his own former head coach on Bradley's initiative, after Bradley left Princeton to coach in MLS.

Bradley and Barlow aren't the only coaches that are also alumni. Of the nine men who have coached the Tigers, six have been alumni. According to Barlow, it's because of the positive experience they had and the continued desire to see Princeton do well.

"I can't see myself at any other college," Barlow said.

In his view, what sets Princeton apart is that the players "are here because they want to be here — they're drawn by the academics and the unique experience and not just by scholarships ... This makes them fun to work with, as they believe in the place."

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He's pretty sure that's the reason alumni like himself have been so enthusiastic about coming back. For him, at least, that's what has made his time as coach at Princeton so rewarding.

In the off-season, when he's not coaching the Tigers, Barlow is the head coach for the Under-15 national team.

"This lets me see the game around the world," he said.

Barlow said he values the experience as, it helps him "become a better coach by incorporating new ideas into my coaching methods."

This year marks Barlow's 10th season as Princeton's head coach. The Tigers have compiled a 73-65-26 record under his tenure and garnered two Ivy League titles. While he concedes that the team hasn't had the best start to this season (its 3-5-1 overall and 0-2-0 in the league), he credits the team nevertheless for its effort, noting that the Tigers openly discuss weaknesses in their game and accept responsibility for improvement.

"The next few games will be a real test of character," Barlow said. "The league is incredibly even, but we're going to try to bounce back. With eight games to go, it can be great fun."