The Portland Thorns have hired Robert Vilahamn as head coach, multiple sources told ESPN, after a lengthy search that took almost the entire off-season.
Vilahamn was most recently the head coach of Tottenham Hotspur's women's side after stints at multiple clubs in his native country of Sweden.
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He led Tottenham to a sixth-place finish in the Women's Super League and to the FA Cup final in his first season in charge. He was fired by Tottenham last June after an 11th-place finish in the league, one spot above relegation.
Prior to Tottenham, Vilahamn coached BK Häcken in Sweden.
Vilahamn entered Portland's radar later in the search process, multiple sources confirmed. Portland interviewed several candidates both from inside and outside the NWSL over the past few months, sources added, but decided on someone with experience outside the league.
The timeline of the decision eventually left the prospective hire with little to no time with the team during preseason. The Thorns are less than two weeks away from their 2026 season-opener.
It is unclear if Vilahamn will be on the sidelines when Portland plays its first game on March 13 against the Washington Spirit, as he awaits a visa.
Portland fired former head coach Rob Gale on Nov. 25.
Gale was in charge for only one full season after taking over on an interim basis in 2024. He was promoted to the full-time job later that year.
Portland finished third last season despite several major absences. The Thorns lost to the Washington Spirit in the semifinals in November.
Vilahamn takes over a Portland team with high expectations. The Thorns are three-time champions and two-time Shield winners, although their last trophy came in 2022.
Since then, Portland has been inconsistent on the field and changed ownership off it. The team twice promoted internally to fill its head-coaching role since that 2022 championship.