Caleb Porter (born February 18, 1975) is an American soccer coach who most recently served as the head coach of

Major League Soccer Major League Soccer (MLS) is a men's professional soccer league sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation, which represents the sport's highest level in the United States. The league comprises 29 teams—26 in the U.S. and 3 in Cana ...

club

Columbus Crew The Columbus Crew, formerly known as Columbus Crew SC, is an American professional soccer club based in Columbus, Ohio. The Crew competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference and began play in 1996 as on ...

from 2019 to 2022. He was previously head coach of the

Portland Timbers The Portland Timbers are an American professional men's soccer club based in Portland, Oregon. The Timbers compete in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member club of the league's Western Conference. The Timbers have played their home games at ...

from 2013 until 2017. He won

MLS Cup The MLS Cup is the annual championship game of Major League Soccer (MLS) and the culmination of the MLS Cup Playoffs. The game is held in November and pits the winner of the Eastern Conference Final against the winner of the Western Conference ...

2015 File:2015 Events Collage new.png, From top left, clockwise: Civil service in remembrance of November 2015 Paris attacks; Germanwings Flight 9525 was purposely crashed into the French Alps; the rubble of residences in Kathmandu following the April ...

with Portland and

2020 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global social and economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, worldwide lockdowns and the largest economic recession since the Great Depression in ...

with Columbus. In addition to MLS, he coached the United States U-23 team in 2011–12, and the University of Akron men's team from 2006 to 2012, winning the NCAA title in 2010. A former midfielder, he played

college soccer College soccer is played by teams composed of soccer players who are enrolled in colleges and universities. It is very prominent in United States, Japan, South Korea, Canada, and as well as in South Africa and Philippines, the Philippines. Th ...

for

Indiana University Indiana University (IU) is a system of public universities in the U.S. state of Indiana. Campuses Indiana University has two core campuses, five regional campuses, and two regional centers under the administration of IUPUI. * Indiana Univers ...

before his short professional career in Major League Soccer and the United Soccer League was ended by persistent knee injuries.

Player

Porter attended

where he played on the men's soccer team from 1994 to 1997. He graduated in 1997 with a

Bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six ...

sports management Sport management is the field of business dealing with sports and recreation. Sports management involves any combination of skills that correspond with planning, organizing, directing, controlling, budgeting, leading, or evaluating of any organi ...

. In February 1998, the San Jose Clash selected Porter with the 3rd round (27th overall) in the

1998 MLS College Draft The 1998 Major League Soccer College Draft was held in Fort Lauderdale, Florida on January 31 and February 1, 1998. The College Draft was followed by the 1998 MLS Supplemental Draft. Format On Saturday, January 31, 1998, Major League Soccer held t ...

. He did not join the Clash until 1999 but his tenure there was short - he made just four appearances and, in his one start, was ejected in the 32nd minute. Following that performance, the Clash sent him on loan to the

Sacramento Geckos The Sacramento Geckos were an American soccer club that competed in the United Soccer Leagues from 1997 to 1999. The club was founded as the Albuquerque Geckos in Albuquerque, New Mexico in 1997, before being sold and moved to Sacramento, Cal ...

of the

A-League A-League Men (known as the Isuzu UTE A-League for sponsorship reasons) is the highest-level professional men's soccer league in Australia and New Zealand. At the top of the Australian league system, it is the country's premier men's competit ...

before waiving him in June. He quickly returned to MLS after being signed by the

Tampa Bay Mutiny Tampa Bay Mutiny was a professional soccer team based in Tampa, Florida. They were a charter member of Major League Soccer (MLS) and played from 1996 to 2001. They played their home games at Tampa Stadium and then at Raymond James Stadium. The ...

in July. He suffered from several knee injuries and had arthroscopic surgery on both knees during the off-season before retiring on June 30, 2000. In 1997, Porter was a member of the U.S. soccer team which took the bronze medal at the

1997 World University Games The 1997 Summer Universiade, also known as the XIX Summer Universiade, took place in the island of Sicily, Italy. Venues * Stadio Angelo Massimino, Catania — athletics, ceremony (opening) * Teatro Massimo Bellini, Catania — fencing * Pal ...

College coach

In 2000, Porter returned to

as an assistant soccer coach. After

Ken Lolla Ken Lolla is a soccer coach who was formerly head men's soccer coach at the University of Louisville. He is also a writer and professional speaker. Lolla played collegiate soccer at Duke University and professionally at various US professional ...

left the

University of Akron The University of Akron is a public research university in Akron, Ohio. It is part of the University System of Ohio. As a STEM-focused institution, it focuses on industries such as polymers, advanced materials, and engineering. It is classified ...

in December 2005, the Zips hired Porter as head soccer coach. After taking the Zips to two consecutive Mid-American Conference titles, and being named the 2007 MAC Coach of the Year, Porter signed a two-year contract extension in June 2008. Following Akron's near-perfect season of 2009, Porter was rumored to be in talks with Major League Soccer club

D.C. United D.C. United is a professional soccer club based in Washington, D.C. that competes in the Eastern Conference of Major League Soccer, the top tier of American soccer. Domestically, the club has won four MLS Cups (league championships), four Su ...

about their vacant head coaching position. However, the University of Akron and Porter agreed on terms of a new contract, keeping him in Akron for the next five years. Under Porter, the 2010 Akron squad captured the

NCAA Men's Division I Soccer Championship The NCAA Division I men's soccer tournament, sometimes known as the College Cup, is an American intercollegiate soccer tournament conducted by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), and determines the Division I men's national champi ...

, defeating the Louisville Cardinals, 1–0.

National U-23 team coach

Porter was named the head coach of the U.S. Under-23 Men's National Team on October 20, 2011, while retaining his duties as coach of the Akron Zips. His first task was attempting to guide the U-23 team to a successful qualifying run in March 2012 for the 2012 Olympic Games in London; however, following a 2–0 loss to Canada and a 3–3 draw with El Salvador, the Americans were eliminated.

Professional coach

On August 29, 2012, it was announced that he would become the head coach of MLS club

after the conclusion of the 2012 NCAA season. Porter was named the 2013 MLS Coach of the Year after leading Portland to a 14–5–15 (57 pts) record, finishing the regular season in first place in the Western Conference and with the third-best record in the league – two points shy of MLS Supporters' Shield-winners

New York Red Bulls The New York Red Bulls are an American professional soccer club based in the New York metropolitan area. The Red Bulls compete in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Eastern Conference. The club was established in October 1994 and be ...

. In 2013, the Timbers set new single-season club marks in points, wins, goals (54), goal differential (+21), shutouts (15) and fewest goals allowed (33). Porter was awarded the 2013 Slats Gill Sportsperson of the Year Award from the Oregon Sports Awards. In the

2014 MLS All-Star Game The 2014 AT&T Major League Soccer All-Star Game was the 19th annual Major League Soccer All-Star Game. It took place on August 6, 2014 at Providence Park, the home of MLS club Portland Timbers. The game was televised live on ESPN2 and UniMás in ...

, Porter coached the MLS All-Star team to a 2–1 victory against Bayern Munich. Helping guide the Timbers to the MLS Western Conference Championship twice in three seasons (2013-2015), Porter compiled one of the league's top winning percentages among active MLS head coaches (41 wins - 25 losses – 36 draws, .578). The 25 career losses in his first 100 career games as an MLS head coach ranks tied for the fewest losses with San Jose's

Dominic Kinnear Dominic Kinnear (born July 26, 1967) is an American soccer coach and former player. On January 18, 2022, he was named an assistant coach by FC Cincinnati, his first coaching role since serving as the interim head coach of the LA Galaxy. As a ...

among all MLS coaches who have reached 100 or more games in the league. Under Porter's guidance, the Timbers made

Providence Park Providence Park (formerly Jeld-Wen Field; PGE Park; Civic Stadium; originally Multnomah Stadium; and from 1893 until the stadium was built, Multnomah Field) is an outdoor soccer venue located in the Goose Hollow neighborhood of Portland, Oregon ...

one of the toughest places to play in the league, registering a regular-season mark of 24–7–20 at Providence Park over the three seasons 2013–15. In 2015, the Timbers once again reached the

MLS Cup Playoffs The MLS Cup Playoffs is the annual postseason elimination tournament of Major League Soccer. The final match of the tournament is the MLS Cup, the league's championship game. Under the current format adopted for the 2019 season, 14 teams quali ...

, setting a new single-season club record in wins (15), while leading the league with 13 shutouts. Porter led the Timbers to their first MLS Cup final, which they won, 2–1, against

Columbus Crew SC The Columbus Crew, formerly known as Columbus Crew SC, is an American professional soccer club based in Columbus, Ohio. The Crew competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference and began play in 1996 as o ...

. From 2013-15, Porter helped guide the Timbers to the fourth-most points (159) among all MLS clubs, behind only the

(169),

Seattle Sounders FC Seattle Sounders Football Club is an American professional men's soccer club based in Seattle. The Sounders compete as a member of the Western Conference of Major League Soccer (MLS). The club was established on November 13, 2007, and began ...

(167) and

LA Galaxy LA Galaxy, also known as the Los Angeles Galaxy, are an American professional soccer club based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Galaxy competes in Major League Soccer (MLS), as a member of the Western Conference. The club began pla ...

(165). On January 27, 2016, Porter signed a long-term contract extension with the Timbers. On November 16, 2017, Porter and the Timbers mutually agreed to separate. On January 4, 2019, Columbus Crew announced Porter as their new head coach, to replace

Gregg Berhalter Gregg Matthew Berhalter (, ; born August 1, 1973) is an American soccer coach and former player. He is also the current head coach of the United States men's national soccer team. Berhalter previously coached Columbus Crew SC in Major League So ...

, who had left to become the head coach of the

United States men's national soccer team The United States men's national soccer team (USMNT) represents the United States in men's international soccer competitions. The team is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation and is a member of FIFA and CONCACAF. The U.S. team ...

. Porter's appointment was made simultaneously with the announcement of

Tim Bezbatchenko Timothy Bezbatchenko (born October 13, 1981) is an American retired soccer player and president of Major League Soccer club Columbus Crew. Playing career As a youth player, Bezbatchenko was part of the United States National Pool in 1999–2 ...

as Crew SC's new president. Porter helped lead Columbus to victory in

MLS Cup 2020 MLS Cup 2020 was the 25th edition of the MLS Cup, the championship match of Major League Soccer (MLS), and was played at Mapfre Stadium in Columbus, Ohio. The match was originally set to take place on November 7, 2020, but was postponed to De ...

but failed to lead the Crew to the playoffs in any other season. On October 10, 2022, after missing consecutive post-seasons -- including a loss on the final day of the 2022 season -- Porter was fired as Crew head coach.

Coaching statistics

College

Professional

Honors

Coaching

Portland Timbers *

* Western Conference (playoffs): 2015 * Western Conference (regular season): 2013, 2017 Columbus Crew SC *

* Eastern Conference (playoffs): 2020 *

Campeones Cup The Campeones Cup is an annual North American association football match contested between the winners of the previous MLS Cup from Major League Soccer and the winners of the Campeón de Campeones from Liga MX. The competition was established by ...

2021 File:2021 collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: the James Webb Space Telescope was launched in 2021; Protesters in Yangon, Myanmar following the coup d'état; A civil demonstration against the October 2021 coup in Sudan; Crowd shortly after t ...

Individual

MLS Coach of the Year The Sigi Schmid Coach of the Year Award is given by Major League Soccer to the best coach in any given season. The award has been given since the league's inception in 1996 and is determined by a vote from players, club personnel, and members of th ...

2013 File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Porter, Caleb 1975 births Living people Soccer players from Tacoma, Washington American soccer coaches American soccer players Indiana Hoosiers men's soccer players A-League (1995–2004) players Sacramento Geckos players San Jose Earthquakes players Tampa Bay Mutiny players Akron Zips men's soccer coaches Indiana Hoosiers men's soccer coaches Portland Timbers (MLS) coaches Columbus Crew coaches Major League Soccer players San Jose Earthquakes draft picks Association football midfielders