Portland Thorns Fire Rob Gale After NWSL Season

The Portland Thorns have fired their coach, Rob Gale, as confirmed by the club on Tuesday. Gale took over mid-season in the 2024 NWSL season, after a good performance as interim coach. The team finished sixth last year, losing to Gotham FC in the semi-finals. Gotham wins the NWSL championship after a series of magical moments. This year was Gale’s only full season in charge of the team. The Thorns finished third in the league with a record of 11-7-8 (W-D-L) and 40 points. They defeated the San Diego Wave in the quarterfinals before falling to the Washington Spirit in the semifinals. The club announced that assistant coach Sarah Lowdon will be the interim coach, while first assistant Adam Day has also left the team. The 2026 regular season of the NWSL will begin on March 13.

“We are grateful to Rob for his dedication to the Thorns and the positive influence he has had on our players and staff,” said Thorns general manager Jeff Agoos, as part of the team’s announcement. “We thank Rob for his contributions and wish him the best in his next project.” Portland had a year of inconsistent results that were affected by injuries and absences.

Three potential starters suffered season-ending knee injuries in the preseason, and star forward Sophia Wilson was out for the season on maternity leave.

After the Thorns’ defeat in the semifinals on November 15, captain Sam Coffey said she was proud of the team, but wants to see more consistency from the team in the future.

I think the word that immediately comes to mind is consistency. I think we are very capable of being electric, especially at home. I think we could be a little more durable away from home; I think that was shown today in some way.

Sam Coffey

“We have too much talent not to be more consistent with our performances, and I mean that from top to bottom as an organization. I think we can do better to commit to showing up every day, being consistent in our details, in the way we act, in the way we train.”