Jim Barlow

Jim Barlow is one of the longest-tenured and most accomplished head coaches in Princeton University athletics history, entering his 29th season leading the Tigers’ men’s soccer program in 2025. Appointed head coach in 1996 at just 26 years old, Barlow has guided Princeton through multiple eras of sustained success, including Ivy League championships, NCAA Tournament appearances, and historic undefeated conference seasons. Under his leadership, Princeton has recorded two perfect Ivy League campaigns in 2010 and 2021, four NCAA Tournament appearances over the last 15 seasons, and its first-ever Ivy League Tournament championship in 2024. That 2024 run included road victories over nationally ranked Cornell and Penn to secure the automatic NCAA bid. Across his tenure, Barlow has surpassed 200 career victories, reaching the milestone during the undefeated 2021 Ivy League season, and enters 2025 with more than 220 career wins. His teams have produced Ivy League Players of the Year, Offensive Players of the Year, All-Americans, and multiple MLS draft selections, including Kevin O’Toole, Cameron Porter, Thomas Sanner, and Mike Nugent. A Princeton alumnus, Barlow was himself a three-time First-Team All-Ivy midfielder, the 1987 Ivy League Rookie of the Year, and the league’s Player of the Year in 1990, becoming the first Tiger to earn that honor. Beyond Princeton, Barlow has had a significant impact on U.S. Soccer, serving as head coach of the U.S. Under-15 National Team from 2004 to 2011 and holding a U.S. Soccer “A” License. A native of Hightstown, New Jersey, he continues to shape Princeton soccer through a blend of competitive excellence, player development, and deep institutional loyalty.