Long-time Arizona high school head coach Jake Barro has been on quite a ride this holiday season.
After taking a defensive analyst position at Illinois State last off-season, Barro was elevated to an on-staff position, working specifically with the nickel cornerbacks.
The Redbirds entered the playoffs unranked, but have rattled off four-straight road road wins and will face Montana State in the FCS Championship Game Monday night against Montana State in Nashville.
— Jake Barro (@CoachBarro) January 1, 2026
“Zone Read” recently caught up with the former Casa Grande and Corona del Sol head coach for an in-depth look at his life on, and off, the field in the Midwest.
How did you end up at Illinois State? “I was kinda figuring out what I was going to do last year after stepping down at Corona. My family background at Illinois State is my uncle played their in the early ’90’s. One of his teammates who I know, Travis Niekamp, is the defensive coordinator. He knew I was looking for something and we started talking on the phone.
“I spent 14 years on the offensive side of the ball but he said, ‘Hey, if you want to come work on the defensive side and help us break down opponents, we’d love to have you and we’d make it worth your while.’ I said, ‘That sounds great.’ It was just a really good fit with some really good people in a state that I’m familiar with. My family is from Illinois, I’ve lived in Illinois, so it’s great to be back here.”
Take us through what you do in your position. “Originally, I was hired as an analyst to break down opposing offenses. Towards the end of last spring, there was an opening for a defensive backs coach working with the nickel backs, so I that role. So, I went from being a behind the scenes guy to be thrown out on the field coaching on the defensive side.
“First time I’ve done it, but it’s been a blast, man. Really cool for me, too – just to get a different perspective of the game.”
My parents are from Chicago, but I know nothing about Normal, Illinois (where Illinois State is located). Is it much like its name? “So, we’re basically 2.5 hours southwest of Chicago. We are right in the middle of the state. It’s really a college town. It’s a decently-sized town.
Home in the Heartland🌽 pic.twitter.com/l4K3MDTwRT
— Illinois State Football (@RedbirdFB) August 10, 2025
They call it Bloomington-Normal where the two cities are right next to each other. We are surrounded by corn fields on every side and then there’s the campus. It’s pretty cool atmosphere on game day because it’s the biggest show in town. That part of it is cool.
“It’s the headquarters for State Farm and Country Financial so there is some big businesses in town but, for the most part, it all revolves around Illinois State University, which has been pretty cool.”
You’re doing some recruiting as well, right? “Yep, I recruit Arizona, obviously, California and Texas.”
How has that dynamic been coming back to Arizona, this time to recruit teams and players, instead of compete against them? “(laughing) It’s been different, obviously, just the dynamic and communication pathways, but it’s been really nice because I know these guys. I know they’re going to tell me the truth about players and I know what programs are good programs. That’s been kind of nice.
“We sort of recruited Arizona off and on, and now that I’m here, we recruit it pretty heavily and we’re trying to get even more involved. In this class we have a commit from Williams Field, Quintin Skillings. There are two players now on our roster from Hamilton – Beckham Pellant and Dylan Lord. There’s much more of a footprint from Arizona high school football than there’s been in the past.
Committed!! @RedbirdFB @Coach_Spack @CoachMikeGrant @CoachBarro pic.twitter.com/hDn6P7GH22
— Q Skillings 2026 6’1 205 RB/ATH (@Qskillings2) October 20, 2025
“Coming out here and talking to coaches and players [from Arizona], it’s been very different, but it’s made my job pretty easy because I know these guys. That part of it has been pretty cool…just seeing how hard these coaches work for their players and to see it from a different lens.”
When took the job at Illinois State, did you reach to guys like Jason Mohns, Shaun Aguano, Charlie Ragle, etc. to get some tips on how to handle that transition from coaching high school to college? “I did. I talked to a lot of different people. Jason Mohns was one of them. Donnie Yantis was another one. Guys that have done it. Even ones that have gone from high school. to college, and then back to high school and what the driving force of making those moves.
“Obviously, there are pros and cons. A lot of guys say the time commitment is different. I don’t see any different in college than in high school. Obviously, being on the road recruiting can be tough. Eight Saturdays a year on the road can be tough, especially for people with young families…people told me, ‘Hey, if you have this opportunity, it’s going to make you a much better football coach.’ That was kind of what motivated me to make the jump.”
What’s been the toughest adjustment for you going from high school to college? “That’s an interesting question. It’s been pretty smooth for the most part. I think the biggest part for me was just getting adjusted to the schedule as far as when fall camp starts, what’s recruiting like in the spring and summer – just getting adjusted to getting all of that down. What the process is like for recruiting to get a kid committed and getting him on campus for a visit – things you don’t deal with on a high school campus.”
I know this is just your first year away but do you miss Arizona high school football and do you see yourself ever coming back to AZ? “That’s a great question because I absolutely do miss Arizona and Arizona high school football. It’s kind of my foundation, right? It’s how I started coaching. I certainly miss it and I keep up with it every Friday.
“But I do like coaching at this level and I do think it’s a great opportunity for me to keep getting better as a football coach. I definitely think one day I would love to come back and coach in Arizona. I don’t know when…as of right now, I love it here and I want to continue to just dig into this thing, but I absolute miss it.”
Love this group! pic.twitter.com/imAaB7uGsC
— Jake Barro (@CoachBarro) December 24, 2025
This is a crazy time in college football with NIL, the portal, etc. At the FCS level, has all this chaos at P4, G5 allowed for more opportunities for kids to play at that level? “You can get really good kids at this level, especially ones that have been overlooked in high school, and it is a good level of football, but when you get players who play early as freshmen or sophomores and they’re really, really good, you’ll get a Big 10 school that will come in and offer them a lot of money to go there. It’s happened multiple times just since I’ve been there.
“We had a player who left in the spring and it was a lifetime-changing amount of money for him and his family. You can’t blame him one bit. That’s the way it is. I’d love to see the NCAA put some guard rails on that, but that’s the way it is.
“It’s created a lot of opportunities [at the FCS level] certainly, a lot of players do come down and then they come up a level if they get the chance. But at the same time, it can be tough and frustrating because you can develop of a player, help them to get them to where they need to be and then someone comes in, pays them a lot of money, and they’re out.”
Illinois State is on quite a run over the last month, winning four-straight road playoff games. Could you see this coming at the end of the regular season? “I knew we could do it. I knew we had it in us. We played good football towards the end of season. There was always a chance we could turn it on and really be what we showed flashes of. But, the reality of us winning four games in a row for the first time in history, very unlikely. It was certainly not something I thought we were gunna do.
NATTY BOUND!!!!! pic.twitter.com/NHtYpzRiNf
— Illinois State Football (@RedbirdFB) December 21, 2025
“I know when we beat North Dakota State up there in Fargo, that was kind of the turning point.”
When you look at that victory at North Dakota State, a place where really no one ever wins, is that the type of milestone that will not only advance you one round deeper in the playoffs, but possibly set a foundation of momentum for the program moving forward? “That’s exactly right. I hope it becomes that. I certainly think it can be. The Fargo Dome is a place where no one ever comes out with a win.
“I know I went out for coffee the morning of the game and I was just making conversation. They said, ‘What are you here for?’ I said, ‘Well, we’re going to try to beat North Dakota State,’ and they were like, ‘Nobody does that.’
DOWN GOES NDSU pic.twitter.com/CqB23Y1esb
— Bussin’ With The Boys (@BussinWTB) December 6, 2025
“It was the first time, Illinois State, beat North Dakota State, in the last 14 years. So, it was a big deal as far as that goes and it’s also become a big deal in recruiting – players start to see us as one of the top teams in the country. Obviously, if we win on Monday, we will be the top team in the country. So, it has a lot of positives getting a win like that, making history.”
Will all of Normal, Illinois be in Nashville this weekend? “(laughing) I think there’s a good chance! There’s a lot of people going to the game. They’ve got a bunch of busses taking people down because Nashville is only a five-hour drive from here, so it’s not bad at all.
“It should be pretty easy to see a big fan base and we’re pretty excited to see what it looks like because I think we’ll be pretty wellrepresented.”
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Eric Sorenson
A Valley native, Eric has had a passion for the Arizona sports scene since an early age. He has covered some of the biggest events including Super Bowls, national championships and the NBA and MLB playoffs in his near 20 years in local media.