Why Caleb Porter Was A Sneaky Good Hire For The New England Revolution

And when Porter was announced as the next permanent New England Revolution manager earlier this month, that history was reason for skepticism among some portion of New England’s fanbase, as was the fact he was replacing a living MLS legend in Bruce Arena who was departing for still-unclear reasons.

Get beyond all that, as well as the other flashier managerial appointments this winter who either played or coached in the English Premier League before arriving in MLS, and Porter may be the best hire of any incoming coach ahead of the 2024 season.

A Winning Profile

Whatever baggage Porter brings, it comes with a passport that includes stamps from two victorious MLS Cup finals, both won relatively quickly after his appointment at his previous clubs. That is nothing to scoff at, given that every single manager who has ever won an MLS Cup has had one of these two characteristics:

1. He’s in his first five seasons in MLS
2. He’s already won an MLS Cup before

If it wasn’t for Peter Vermes’ Sporting Kansas City side in 2013, the first category would only apply to managers who were in their first four MLS seasons.

And while that doesn’t mean Jim Curtin, Pablo Mastroeni, Ben Olsen or Oscar Pareja will never win the league’s top honor, it does suggest some managers are better peformers in the the unique playoff system MLS uses to crown its champion, and that Porter is one of them.

And if there was ever a situation where baggage could drag a manager down in the longer term doesn’t matter, it’s New England. Robert Kraft, the patriarch of the Kraft family which owns the Revolution as well as the New England Patriots, is 82 years old and has seen his team reach five MLS Cups, never to win. Whether Porter will burn bridges several years after lifting a trophy matters very little when you’re in that position. And while the Kraft family may not be the most free-spending owners in MLS, they have consistently shown themselves as engaged with on-field results. You don’t reach five finals if you’re not that kind of ownership group.

The decision to hire Bruce Arena four years ago certainly showed that. Arena was at a low point in his otherwise illustrious managerial career. But he had been the last manager to defeat the Revs in the MLS Cup final, in 2014 with the LA Galaxy.

A Similar Situation

The Revs reached the playoffs in four of five seasons under Arena, and are returning a roster that needs only augmentation rather than rebuilding. To put it another way, it’s a very similar situation to what Porter inherited in Portland and Columbus.

Darlington Nagbe, Jack Jewsbury, Diego Chara and Rodney Wallace were all already in the Timbers’ fold when Porter took the job there after the 2012 season. There were crucial additions that were critical to 2015 success — most notably Diego Valeri and Maxi Urruti — but the previously mentioned quartet all played key roles as well.

At the Crew, Gyasi Zardes, Harrison Afful, Artur, Petro Santos and Jonathan Mensah were among the core when Porter arrived after 2018, and were still a big part of the team that lifted the trophy in 2020. This time, it was Nagbe and Lucas Zelarayan who were the key additions.

If anything, the situation on the ground in New England is even better, with 2021 MLS MVP Carles Gil still just in his early 30s and most of last year’s group that finished fifth in the Eastern Conference returning. It also comes with arguably less pressure and more to gain: Win MLS Cup in New England, and Porter is the first-ever coach to do it at three teams. Fall short, and he’s another Revs coach in a list that even includes Arena — the most successful manager in league history.

Continued expansion and the arrival of Lionel Messi will make winning MLS Cup harder for everyone in 2024. But the situation for Porter and the Revolution sets up as well as any new hire could. Suitcases and all.