Phil Neville Departs Portland Timbers After 27-31-24 Run
Phil Neville has mutually parted ways with the Portland Timbers after two-and-a-half seasons, ending a run that brought a 27-31-24 record. The club is now searching for a new head coach while the 2026 MLS season reaches its midpoint.
Portland Timbers and Neville Split
The move comes with Portland at 4-8-2, on 14 points, and sitting 13th in the Western Conference with 20 matches remaining. The Timbers were on a three-week break during the summer international window and were set to return to play on July 16.
Neville joined Portland in November 2023 ahead of the 2024 MLS season. He led the Timbers to a 12-11-11 record in 2024, their first playoff berth since 2021, and Portland set a single-season club scoring record with 65 goals.
Grabavoy Sets the Standard
General manager Ned Grabavoy said the club had pointed discussions this offseason about areas it needed to build on and improve. He added that the team had not seen the progress it needed to see and that results had fallen well short of expectations.
That judgment lands on a team that reached the playoffs in back-to-back seasons under Neville, then dropped back into a difficult position in 2026. The timing leaves Portland to sort out its next coach before the final 20 matches begin to shape the season.
Neville Leaves After Two Postseason Runs
Neville’s second season produced an 11-12-11 record and another playoff qualification in 2025. Portland then beat Real Salt Lake in the Wild Card round before losing to top-seeded San Diego FC in the Round One Best-of-3 Series.
In his farewell message, Neville said, “I realize we are in a results business, and the results haven't been to the expectation of this football club.” He also said he would miss the Timbers Army and told supporters to keep getting behind the players and the club in Portland.
For Portland, the immediate task is clear: find a head coach while the season is still alive and the standings still matter. For Neville, the split closes a spell that brought two playoff appearances, a club scoring record, and a final record that never quite matched the target set around him.
