The San Jose Earthquakes announced today that the club has signed general manager John Doyle to a contract extension. Per team policy, terms of the contract were not disclosed.
“We are proud to sign John to a long-term agreement as the head of our soccer operations,” said Earthquakes President Dave Kaval. “John’s dedication to the club is second to nobody. He has been a key leader within the organization as we continue to move forward into a new era of Earthquakes soccer.”
Doyle, 48, recently started his seventh season as general manager of the Earthquakes, following a season in which the Quakes equaled the third highest point total in team history. He successfully signed Mark Watson as the club’s permanent head coach, after Watson led San Jose to the best record in MLS over the final three months of 2013 as the interim head coach. In the offseason, Doyle added Ligue 1 veteran Jean-Baptiste Pierazzi, defenders Brandon Barklage and Shaun Francis and Portuguese star Yannick Djalo, while retaining the core of the team from the past two seasons.
“First of all, I want to thank the Earthquakes ownership group and Dave Kaval,” said Doyle. “There is a lot of excitement around the club right now, both on the field and with our new stadium getting closer every day. We have an excellent coaching staff and a good group of players, so I am looking forward to a great season.”
Doyle, who is the only person to be a part of the club since its inception in 1995, has helped lead the Quakes to the best regular season record in MLS over the past two seasons, including a record-setting Supporters’ Shield campaign in 2012. The Quakes finished with a club record 66 points and a 19-6-9 record, while finishing with 72 goals. That team was led by a group of players acquired by Doyle through trade and discovery signings, including Honduran national teamers Victor Bernardez and Marvin Chavez and Tottenham Hotspur professional Simon Dawkins, coupled with timely roster moves from the previous three seasons. Chris Wondolowski, Steven Lenhart and Alan Gordon each had career years in 2012 after joining the Earthquakes through separate trades in 2009 and 2011, respectively.
Under Doyle the Quakes also reached the conference final in 2010 after upsetting the New York Red Bulls in the Eastern Conference semifinals. His 2009 trade for Wondolowski bore fruit, as the Danville native won the Budweiser MLS Golden Boot that season with 18 goals. Doyle also signed the team’s first designated player in 2010, Brazilian forward Geovanni, who arrived in San Jose from the English Premier League.
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The Fremont, Calif. native spent 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 Supporters’ 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.
