CARSON, Calif. (Tuesday, December 7, 2010) – The LA Galaxy announced today that Trevor James, the club’s Assistant Coach and Director of Player Development, has left the club to accept the position of Assistant Coach with the expansion Portland Timbers. The longest tenured member of the coaching staff having joined the club in 2006, James served as an assistant coach for the club for the last four-and-a-half years, while also taking on the role of Director of Player Development since the start of the Galaxy Academy in 2007.
As the club’s Director of Player Development, James oversaw all aspects of the creation and growth of the Galaxy Academy, including developing the club’s first home-grown signing, forward Tristan Bowen. Since beginning play in 2008, the Galaxy Academy has won a pair of USL Super-20 League division titles, reached the 2010 Super-20 National Championship, qualified for the U.S. Soccer Development Academy Playoffs at both the U-16 and U-18 level, while also winning the LA Futbol Circuit championship last month in their inaugural season at the U-14 level.
“We are grateful to Trevor for all of his contributions to the Galaxy over the last four years assisting with the first team and developing our youth academy program,” Galaxy General Manager and Head Coach Bruce Arena said. “As a club, we would like to wish him the very best in all of his future endeavors.
James joined the Galaxy in June 2006 when he was named an assistant coach under Frank Yallop. He held that position until Yallop’s departure in November 2007. At that time, James became the Galaxy’s interim head coach, leading the club in a pair of postseason friendlies, tying the Vancouver Whitecaps 0-0 and defeating the Minnesota Thunder on penalties following a 1-1 draw in the inaugural Copa Minnesota. He resumed his role as an assistant coach following the hiring of Ruud Gullit and was a part of Bruce Arena’s coaching staff with the Galaxy since August 2008.
"I have enjoyed my time here with the LA Galaxy and would like to thank the players, staff and fans as well as the academy staff, players and families for their support through the years,” James said. “Although I am saddened to be leaving the Galaxy organization, I look forward to this exciting new opportunity with the Portland Timbers during their inaugural MLS season."
A native of Norwich, England, James has more than 10 years of international experience as a player, playing in England, Norway and the United States. Following his retirement from professional soccer in 1985, James moved into the coaching ranks. He was initially hired as a youth academy coach at Ipswich Town, before moving to Colchester United as the club’s Reserve Team Manager. Following his stint at Colchester, James was hired by John Taylor in 2000-2001 to be his First Team Coach and Chief Scout at Cambridge United of England’s League One.
James holds coaching licenses from U.S. Soccer, UEFA and the Football Association (The FA) where he was on the coaching education staff. He is the founding director of School Of Soccer, USA; a youth soccer coaching school based here in the Los Angeles area.
