The writing may have been on the wall for a few weeks, but today it was made official: the Phil Neville era of the Portland Timbers is over.
The club announced today that they have mutually parted ways with head coach Phil Neville. The England international leaves his second club head coaching position after two-and-half-years at the helm, with the team entering a two-month-long break for the FIFA Men's World Cup.
“In my nearly two decades of owning and operating the Portland Timbers, there are very few people I have enjoyed working with more than Phil Neville,” said Timbers owner Merritt Paulson. “Phil has outstanding leadership qualities and a boundless sense of positivity even in the face of adversity. I cannot thank Phil enough for his tireless dedication to this club and the Portland community, which he and his family truly embraced.”
“We are appreciative of Phil’s commitment and efforts during his time with the Portland Timbers,” added Timbers general manager Ned Grabavoy, who made the decision to hire Neville back in 2023. “Phil brought enthusiasm and passion to the role, and it was a pleasure to work with him. We wish Phil all the best in his next opportunity."
Neville shared some kind parting words for both the Timbers organization, and for Timbers fans.
"I'd like to thank Merritt Paulson, Ned Grabavoy, and the entire Portland family for their unwavering support in giving me the job and standing behind me,” Phil Neville shared in the club statement. "To my staff, thank you for your incredible loyalty and hard work. And to the most incredible bunch of players: thank you for the effort, the good times, the good results, the bad results, and all the laughs we shared together. I realize we are in a results business, and the results haven't been to the expectation of this football club."
"To the Timbers Army — you are the reason I felt inspired to try and bring success to this club. Keep getting behind the players and the club in this wonderful city. I will miss you all."
You can read the statement from the team here, and read on for more details.
Why did the club part ways with Neville now?
Neville himself said it plainly: the results have simply not been good enough in 2026.
The Timbers sit at 4-2-8, on 14 points through 14 games, stuck in 13th place in the Western Conference. They have the third lowest points-per-game in the West, and are tied for the fourth lowest PPG in the entire league. For the third year of a coaching stint wherein the club has consistently stated that its aspirations are much higher up the table, that is unacceptable.
That's especially so when you consider that the previous two seasons only showed marginal improvement over the two years prior. After missing the playoffs in 2022 and 2023, Neville finished 12-11-11 in 2024 before getting blasted in the Wild Card round of the playoffs. In 2025 he finished with a near identical record (11-11-12), and while Portland was able to overcome Real Salt Lake in the Wild Card Round, they fell to top-seeded San Diego FC in the first round.
Timbers GM Ned Grabavoy shared in the club statement that he also noted the lack of progress in year three under Neville. “This offseason we had pointed discussions about the areas we needed to build on and improve," he shared. "Ultimately, we have not seen the progress we’ve needed to, and, most importantly, results have fallen well short of expectations.”
The straw that appears to have broken the camel's back was a demoralizing 1-3 loss to the San Jose Earthquakes on home turf last weekend. The loss was the first ever to San Jose in Portland in the MLS era, and was marked late by chants and banners calling for Neville's dismissal.
Crucially, the Timbers made the decision to separate from Neville while they still have a chance to salvage the 2026 season.
Portland has 20 games remaining after the World Cup break, with 11 of those games at home. The table is set for Portland to potentially climb up the table. But the mountain is steep, and it requires first and foremost the club getting the next head coach hire right,
What's next?
The club has announced that the search for the fifth permanent head coach of the Timbers in the MLS era is currently underway. The team is currently on a three-week break before resuming soccer activities, with their first match back being on July 16. No announcement has been made on interim coaching decisions, nor on any decisions for the rest of the coaching staff.
Presumably, Ned Grabavoy, technical director Jack Dodd, and the other powers that be will have a much busier break than the players. I would be surprised if they aren't already putting together a roster of potential hires, contingencies to that roster, and exploring all possible paths to restore this team back to contention as soon as possible.
However, we have yet to see how much the delay in parting ways with Neville will impact that search. Grabavoy kept to his word and gave the group up until the World Cup break before making a decision on Neville's tenure. But based on recent results, which included a feckless 2-0 loss in Miami and the disastrous and lopsided loss at home to the 'Quakes, Grabavoy would have been justified in letting go of Phil weeks earlier – if not sooner than that.
And so, we are right where we were in the winter of 2023. The Timbers need a head coach, and they don't have a lot of time to find one. The pressure to not only find one quickly but also find the right one is sky high. If Portland wants to make the rest of the 2026 season, and seasons beyond, a success, they have to ensure they learn from their mistakes and do everything they can to make sure whomever is next in charge is the right fit.
Onward.
