The LA Galaxy have yet to make a decision their head coach position, but Monday night offered some evidence that a hire might be in the works.
Former Portland Timbers coach Caleb Porter was spotted courtside at the LA Lakers NBA game on Monday, and he was sitting with Galaxy officials, including team president (and former Porter college roommate) Chris Klein. The very public outing would seem to suggest that the Galaxy are at the very least considering Porter for their head coaching position.
Former college roommates Chris Klein & Caleb Porter taking in Lakers-Heat game tonight (That’s Porter behind Lebron & DWade hugging). Klein’s LA Galaxy need a coach & Porter is looking for his next job. Galaxy would absolutely be Porter’s preferred pick of current MLS openings https://t.co/81vsSafsLE
— Ives Galarcep (@SoccerByIves) December 11, 2018
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Porter left the Timbers after the 2017 season to take time off, but he has already begun interview for jobs, and has been linked with the Columbus Crew as well as FC Cincinnati.
The Galaxy formally announced the hiring of new general manager Dennis te Kloese on Friday, and while there have been reports suggesting interim coach Dom Kinnear might be considered for the position, the Porter sighting seems to suggest that, at the very least, the Galaxy are weighing options.
There have been rumblings that Zlatan Ibrahimovic preferred that Kinnear remain as the team’s head coach, but that scenario is starting to look less likely, especially with Porter now in the frame.
Porter led the Timbers to the 2015 MLS Cup title, and his name was mentioned as a possible contender for the Galaxy job before the 2017 season, though his contract with the Timbers at the time would have made joining the Galaxy virtually impossible.
Now that he is unattached to any club, Porter is free to speak to the Galaxy, or any other club interested in his services. It is a safe bet that, if Porter has his choice of current MLS job openings, the Galaxy would be his top pick.
Porter has a natural connection to Klein, as the two were teammates and close friends at Indiana University. Though Te Kloese was hired to handle the rebuilding of the squad, it appears that Klein is still leading the way in the coaching search.
A Yahoo report identified Jason Kreis as another potential candidate to take over the Galaxy, though the same report was eventually updated with a more likely scenario of Kreis coming on as an assistant to Kinnear.
Based on Monday’s sighting of Porter and Klein together, it appears the Galaxy could soon have another MLS Cup-winning coach in charge of the club in the very near future.
Yuck
Porter vs Kinnear, That is a good position for coaching options to be in. I would take whoever is left out for my team.
Where the heck has he been? I guess it was a one way breakup with the Timbers?
I think LA will be in good shape in the coaching department with Porter…and it would have been great with Kinnear too.
That isn’t the problem with that team for next year.
At one point several years back, Porter was seen as the golden boy of American coaching and likely to end up as the USMNT coach some day. I think he’s got some rebuilding to do to get back to that level, and I’m not sure I want that to be with my LAG…