Caleb Porter Named Portland Timbers Manager

It wasn’t the best kept secret, but at least it’s now official. University of Akron head coach Caleb Porter has been named the Portland Timbers’ new head coach, effective at the end of the 2012 NCAA season.

The 37-year-old Porter will be officially introduced in December after the conclusion of the Akron season.

Porter is currently the head coach at Akron, but it was unclear if he would finish out this season or join the Timbers after the Zips’ season ends in late November or December. Even if Porter remained with Akron until the end of the season, he would still be able to join the Timbers close to the start of their offseason and would likely be well prepared for the SuperDraft just based on the work he’s already done in college.

Since joining Akron in 2006, he’s turned the Zips into one of the most decorated teams in the nation. He has produced several MLS talents and won the 2010 College Cup. The one glaring hole in his resume is that he’s never coached at the professional level and his first job coaching pros, on the United States U-23 team, ended with them failing to qualify for the 2012 Summer Olympics.