Gavin Wilkinson enters his fourth season at the helm of the Portland Timbers in 2010. On January 18, he was named the technical director of the Timbers’ MLS franchise, which begins play in 2011, and will serve in both roles during the 2010 campaign.

 

A two-time USL First Division Coach of the Year, Wilkinson has a 37-22-29 record during his tenure as the Timbers head coach. He has guided the club to two USL First Division semifinals appearances, won the 2009 Commissioner’s Cup as the USL First Division’s regular-season champion and led the Timbers to a USL record, 24-game unbeaten streak in 2009. Wilkinson is also a two-time recipient of the FieldTurf Coach of the Year for the USL First Division (2007, 2009).

 

Last season, Wilkinson led the Timbers to a first-place finish with a 16-4-10 (58pts) record. During the campaign, the Timbers scored a league-high 45 goals, shared the lead for the fewest goals allowed (19), and posted a league-best 6-1-8 record on the road. Portland captured the league's Commissioner's Cup as the team with the best overall record at the end of the regular season and earned a berth to the semifinals.

 

In his first season at the helm in 2007, Portland advanced the USL First Division semifinals for the first time in modern-franchise history. The team set several modern-franchise records during the season, including fewest goals allowed in a single season (18) and shutouts in a single season (14).

 

Wilkinson first joined the Timbers organization as a defender in 2001 and played in each of the club's first six seasons and was a player/assistant coach from 2005-06. He currently ranks among modern-franchise leaders in games (124) and minutes played (10,181). He was appointed as the club’s head coach and general manager Sept. 26, 2006. A New Zealand native, Wilkinson earned 38 caps with the New Zealand National Team, and competed in the 1999 and 2003 FIFA Confederations Cups. The defender’s 13-year playing career included time with clubs in six different countries, including Portugal, Ireland, Hong Kong, Singapore and Australia.

 

Wilkinson, who holds an “A” coaching license from USSF, founded the youth club Eastside United, based in Gresham, Ore., in 2001, and helps run the club as coaching director. He and his wife, Heather, have two children.