PORTLAND, Ore. – United Soccer Leagues today announced that Portland Timbers head coach Gavin Wilkinson was named the 2009 USL First Division Coach of the Year. It is Wilkinson’s second USL First Division Coach of the Year award.

Voted by the league’s coaches and general managers, the USL First Division’s top award-winners, including Coach of the Year, were unveiled today at the USL First Division Championship Series Banquet in Montreal, Quebec.

Wilkinson becomes just the third two-time USL First Division Coach of the Year recipient; the others are Alan Hinton (Seattle 1994, 1995) and Bob Lilley (Hershey 1997, Montreal 2003).

In 2009, Wilkinson guided the Timbers to a league-record 24-match unbeaten streak on the way to a first-place finish with a 16-4-10 (58pts) record. Portland captured the Commissioner’s Cup as the regular-season champion and reached the USL First Division semifinals. The club also led the league in scoring with 45 goals, shared the lead for fewest goals allowed (19) and posted the best road record (6-1-8) in the USL First Division.

In his three seasons as head coach, Wilkinson has led the Timbers to two semifinals appearances and a 37-22-29 combined record. Following his first season at the helm in 2007, Wilkinson received the 2007 USL First Division Coach of the Year award and was also named the FieldTurf Coach of the Year for the USL First Division as the club finished the season in second place and made its first-ever appearance in the semifinals.

Wilkinson has been a member of the Timbers organization since it joined USL in 2001. As a defender from 2001-06, he ranks among career leaders in both games (124) and minutes played (10,181). He served as a player/assistant coach during the 2005 and 2006 seasons before being named the club’s general manager and head coach on Sept. 26, 2006.