John Doyle - General Manager, Soccer Operations
John Doyle enters his fourth season with the club as General Manager of Soccer Operations. Doyle is responsible for all aspects of the club’s soccer operations, including the coaching staff, the first team, reserves, player development programs and the Academy.
Doyle has assembled one of the top coaching staffs in the league in head coach Frank Yallop, assistant coach Ian Russell, assistant coach Mark Watson, goalkeeper coach Jason Batty, strength and conditioning coach Greg Tella, head athletic trainer Bruce Morgan and assistant athletic trainer Hank House.
The 2010 season was a benchmark for success under Doyle’s leadership. A mixture of transactions played a key role in San Jose’s run to the Eastern Conference Championship. Doyle traded for eventual 2010 MLS Budweiser Golden Boot winner Chris Wondolowski late in the 2009 season, signed veteran goalkeeper Jon Busch during the preseason, acquired a budding star at holding midfield in Sam Cronin for allocation money and picked up the club’s first Designated Player, former FC Barcelona and Hull City star Geovanni. This confluence of personnel decisions coupled with Yallop’s coaching led to the best season for San Jose since returning to MLS in 2008, a 13-10-7 record that was No. 8 in the league table and No. 6 in the Western Conference. Doyle also selected Generation adidas defender Ike Opara during the 2010 SuperDraft, a selection that paid immediate dividends — three goals in 11 games and the early choice for MLS Rookie of the Year before injury cut the young center back’s season short. With a bevy of talent on the back line, the Earthquakes set a new franchise mark with 13 shutouts in 2010. The Earthquakes also earned the MLS Team Fair Play Award, given to the club that was whistled for the fewest fouls during the regular season. Capping the postseason honors was Bobby Convey’s selection as the MLS Comeback Player of the Year. Convey was also the lone San Jose representative on the 2010 MLS All-Star Team after returning from injury problems in 2009 after Doyle signed the former US Men’s National Team standout from Reading FC.
In 2009, Doyle made key acquisitions to the team in mid-season like Salvadoran national team captain Ramon Sanchez, Brazilian central midfielder Andre Luiz and Trinidadian national team striker Cornell Glen. These and other additions helped the Quakes finish the second half of the season strong with a 4-4-5 record after a tough start to ‘09.
After a slow start in 2008, Doyle showed his resourcefulness by overhauling the team’s attack during the international transfer window in July, signing English midfielder Darren Huckerby and former AS Roma midfielder Francisco Lima and trading for midfielder Arturo Alvarez. Those moves jump-started the Quakes attack and helped them put together a nine-game unbeaten streak from July 12-Sept. 27, the longest unbeaten streak in the league in 2008 and the second longest ever by an expansion team. The team finished the year with more wins (8), points (33) and goals scored (32) than any expansion team this decade.
Doyle has been a part of the San Jose MLS team every season since its inception, working in a number of capacities. He and Michael Emenalo were signed as the first players in club history on Dec. 7, 1995 when the team was known as the San Jose Clash. The Fremont, Calif. native played five illustrious seasons as the captain of the Clash/Earthquakes and until 2003 held the team records for games played (132) and minutes played (11,385). A two-time MLS All-Star (1996, 1997), Doyle scored 11 goals and dished out 15 assists in his career. He was the 1996 MLS Defender of the Year and named to the League’s Best XI that year.
Following his retirement at the end of the 2000 season, Doyle served as the television analyst from 2001-03. He was then hired on Jan. 22, 2004 as the assistant coach for Dominic Kinnear. With Doyle as the assistant coach, the Quakes made two consecutive playoff appearances and in 2005 won the Supporter’s Shield. The 2005 team became just the second team in league history to record over 60 points. In 2005, Doyle was the inaugural member of the San Jose Earthquakes Hall of Fame.
Doyle has also spent the past 11 years as the Director of Coaching for Mustang Soccer, where he is responsible for the training and development of coaches who oversee over 5,000 children from the Danville, Alamo, Walnut Creek and San Ramon areas. Doyle helped develop the Under-15 and Under-16 Red Bull National League, which gives elite youth soccer players the opportunity to compete against the best clubs in their region and across the country.
In 2003, Doyle was appointed the Technical Director of U.S. Super Y League where his duties included the implementation of the ODP program and all Youth National team selections for boys and girls Under-14 to Under-19. He was elected to the U.S. Soccer Board of Directors in 2001 and was named to the U.S. Soccer Technical Committee the following year. He holds an “A” coaching license from the U.S. Soccer Federation.
The former University of San Francisco All-American enjoyed one of the most decorated playing careers in United States soccer history. Doyle first began training with U.S. national team in 1987 and was a member of the squad until 1994. He played in the 1988 Seoul Olympics and the 1990 World Cup in Italy, as well as the 1991 CONCACAF Gold Cup. Doyle made 53 appearances for the U.S., scoring three goals and registering two assists. At the club level, Doyle helped the San Francisco Bay Blackhawks win the 1991 APSL Championship. After playing in Sweden and Germany, Doyle returned to the U.S. to play and was named the 1995 APSL Defender of the Year while with the Atlanta Ruckus.
Doyle grew up in nearby Fremont, Calif. and starred at Washington High School. Doyle currently resides in Pleasanton with his wife Kaarin and their two children Jay and Kate.