While serving as head coach at Washington and Lee University, Barclay took the Generals to their one and only post season bowl appearance in 1950 when they were beaten by Wyoming in the Gator Bowl. He was named the Southern Conference and Virginia Coach of the Year. Barclay became an assistant coach at Carolina under Carl Snavely. Snavely was a proponent of the single-wing offense, but thought Carolina's players were more suited to the split-T formation, and Barclay helped install it there. In 1953, he was hired as the head football coach. Barclay was dismissed from his alma mater in 1955, and replaced by Jim Tatum, who had been a teammate with him at Carolina.