Portland adds Assistant Coach Alex Dodgshon and Data Analyst Hrishikesh Dabir
PORTLAND, Ore. – The Portland Timbers today announced the full coaching and soccer operations staff ahead of the 2026 MLS season, highlighted by the additions of Assistant Coach Alex Dodgshon and Data Analyst Hrishikesh Dabir.
Overseeing the Timbers technical staff, General Manager Ned Grabavoy enters his fourth year at the helm and his 10th season working for the club. His immediate staff includes Assistant General Manager Nick Mansueto, Technical Director Jack Dodd and Director of Scouting Nacho Leblic.
“Alex and Hrishikesh each bring strong skillsets in their respective roles that will strengthen our collective efforts as we look to raise our standards in 2026. These additions reflect our continued commitment to the investment in our soccer operations, and the growth and evolution of the club,” said Timbers General Manager Grabavoy.
Head Coach Phil Neville returns for his third year with the Timbers and ninth year as a head coach in MLS and at the international level. In 2025, Neville led Portland to a second consecutive MLS playoff appearance, finishing the season in eighth place in the Western Conference with a mark of 11-12-11. Notably, the team’s 48 goals conceded in the 2025 season tied the third fewest in its MLS era, and least in a single campaign since 2018. The Timbers registered a 1-2-1 record in the MLS playoffs, falling to San Diego FC in Game 3 of Round One.
A newcomer to Portland’s coaching staff, Dodgshon served as an assistant on Toronto FC’s technical staff from 2023 to 2025, where he focused on scouting and analytics. Before his time with TFC, Dodgshon spent over two years with Canada Soccer as the lead analyst for the Canadian Men’s National Team. During this period, he supported the team through multiple Concacaf Gold Cups (2021, 2023), the 2022-23 Concacaf Nations League, and the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.
Dodgshon began his coaching career as head coach for the Fredericton District Soccer Association U-15 and U-17 Boys programs (2018-20), where he focused on youth development and long-term player growth. A native of Liverpool, England, Dodgshon holds a Master of Sport Science from the University of New Brunswick (Canada) and a Master of Chemistry from the University of St. Andrews (Scotland).
“Alex is someone who brings great energy, intelligence, and a modern approach to the game, and we’re thrilled to have him join our staff,” said Timbers Head Coach Phil Neville. “We are also excited to integrate Hrishikesh into our technical process; his data insights will help us prepare, evaluate, and improve the team’s performance while providing value across various club departments.”
Timbers Assistant Coaches Dave van den Bergh, Shannon Murray, Liam Ridgewell, Guillermo “Memo” Valencia and Head Video Analyst Connor Ceballos are set to return to the club. Van den Bergh and Ceballos will enter their third season with the club, while Murray and Valencia return for their ninth season since joining the Timbers staff in 2018. Ridgewell, who played five seasons in Green and Gold, enters his fourth season as an assistant coach for Portland.
Portland’s new Data Analyst, Dabir, joins the Timbers from English side Blackburn Rovers Football Club, where he served as an assistant data scientist for two seasons (2024-25). Prior to that, Dabir spent time as a data scientist for Kitman Labs (2023) after co-founding The Devil’s DNA, a tactical analysis and scouting report platform that provides visualized data.
Dabir holds an FA Level 1 Introduction to Talent Identification in Football certification from the English Football Association. A native of Maharashtra, India, Dabir received a Master’s in Data Science from Lancaster University (England) in 2023 after graduating with a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science from Fergusson College (India) in 2020.
Director of Sports Medicine Matthew Weston, Timbers Head of Health and Performance Nick Milonas, Head Athletic Trainer Paul Lombardo, Associate Head Athletic Trainer Taichi Kitagawa, Assistant Athletic Trainer Aldair Rodriguez, Performance Specialist Charles Burdick, Performance Scientist Hayden Maliska, Mental Performance Coach Lacey Henderson and Team Dietitian Emily Smith will remain as part of the Timbers health and performance staff.
Director of Equipment Operations Sam Younie returns to the club for his 17th year alongside Manager of Equipment Operations Cale Powers. Additionally, Team Chef Rich Meyer and Assistant Team Chef Clayton Bradley return to the club for their seventh and third years, respectively.
The soccer operations staff is rounded out with Director of Soccer Operations Gabriel Jaimes, Soccer Operations Manager Kevin Jacobs, Player Care Manager Nate Cahoone and Executive Assistant Jazzmyne Souers.
