PORTLAND, Ore. – The Portland Timbers today announced the hiring of Mike Golub as the Chief Operating Officer for the team in advance of its debut season in Major League Soccer (MLS). The announcement was made by Timbers President Merritt Paulson.

In his position, Golub, 48, will oversee all business operations for the Timbers, who were awarded MLS’ 18^th franchise on March 20, 2009, and will mark their inaugural MLS season in 2011.

Golub, who has been serving as a consultant with the Timbers for the past year as they prepare for their inaugural MLS season, has more than 25 years experience in professional sports marketing and management, including a wealth of experience in Portland and the Pacific Northwest; his professional background locally includes executive leadership positions with Nike, the Portland Trail Blazers and Vulcan Sports and Entertainment.

“Mike will be an outstanding addition to the Timbers,” said Paulson. “He offers both a wealth of industry experience and a strong connection to the Portland community. 

“After several months of consulting with us, we are excited to officially welcome him on board.”

Golub served as the Chief Operating Officer for the Trail Blazers from 2006-08, transforming the team’s business and brand into one of the most successful in professional sports. In this position, he oversaw the day-to-day management of the team’s marketing, advertising, ticket sales, community relations, sponsorship, media relations, broadcasting, arena management and event presentation operations.

With Nike (1996-99), he was a founding member and director of Nike Sports Entertainment, a global sports marketing division that established new strategic alliances and created and administered Nike-owned sporting events.

A graduate of Dartmouth College with a master’s degree from the Stanford University Graduate School of Business, Golub also brings considerable experience in a variety of major league sports. He served as the Executive Vice President for the National Basketball Association’s Memphis Grizzlies from 2000-05 and was the Senior Vice President of Business Operations and Chief Marketing Officer for the National Hockey League’s New York Rangers prior to joining the Trail Blazers in October 2006.

Golub’s event experience began with the NBA league office from 1991-96, serving as the league’s Managing Director of Events and Attractions. In this capacity, he managed the group responsible for the planning and execution of all league events, including the NBA All-Star Game, NBA Jam Session, USA Basketball’s “Dream Team” and international events in Japan and Europe.

Before joining the NBA, Golub served as the Director of Marketing for the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum from 1988-91, and was an award-winning producer for Major League Baseball Properties from 1983-86.

Golub is Chair of the Board of Directors of the Portland Center Stage and serves on the Board of Directors for the Oregon Humane Society and Oregon Sports Authority. He also serves on the Board of Directors of Trusted Sports, Inc., based in Bend, Ore., and is a member of the editorial board of the national publication, Journal of Sponsorship.

Mike and his wife, Sam, reside in Portland.