Richard W. Barker

Richard W. Barker was an American wrestler and American football player who later served as an intercollegiate coach in both sports.

Baker attended Ames College, where he wrestled and played football. As an intercollegiate wrestler, he was never thrown and twice won the National Intercollegiate Wrestling championship. In football, he played at the guard position and was selected by Walter Eckersall as an All-Western player in 1919. He graduated from Ames in 1921.

After graduating from Ames, he remained there as a coach for one year. He next coached at Cornell College in Iowa. In approximately 1923, he was hired by the University of Michigan as its varsity wrestling coach. He later served as the head college football coach for the Franklin & Marshall Diplomats located in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. He held that position for the 1942 and 1943 seasons. His coaching record at Franklin & Marshall was 9 wins, 5 losses and 2 ties. As of the conclusion of the 2010 season, this ranks him #13 at Franklin & Marshall in total wins and #12 at the school in winning percentage (.620).