After a global head coaching search, the Portland Thorns are sticking with who they have.
The Thorns announced on Friday that they have hired Rob Gale as the team’s full-time head coach following Gale’s successful stint as interim coach since mid-April.
“This is a club that we want to be successful, so Rob’s record in the interim was impressive, but it also was beyond that,” Thorns general manager Karina LaBlanc told ESPN. “I mean, the players love him, the community loves him, the fans love him, the staff love him. But in the beginning, I said to him, ‘Make this [decision] hard on us.'”
Gale did that. He took over a winless Thorns team and has guided Portland to an 8-2-2 record since. The Thorns sit fifth in the National Women’s Soccer League table at the league’s extended summer break from the regular season.
LeBlanc said the global search was done in conjunction with a reputable talent identification company that she declined to name.
The long list included a diverse set of candidates from both the men’s and women’s game. It was narrowed to a final three and then again to the final two candidates.
The data — specifics of which LeBlanc declined to share, citing competitive advantages and other open coaching positions within the NWSL –…
