San Jose hired Gavin Wilkinson after ‘restorative’ clearance from MLS without NWSL involvement

The San Jose Earthquakes hired Gavin Wilkinson after a “restorative practices” process cleared him to work in Major League Soccer. The NWSL was not formally involved in that process, multiple sources briefed on the matter told The Athletic.

Bay FC, the NWSL team that uses San Jose’s stadium, PayPal Park, pushed back against Wilkinson’s hiring as a roster consultant, as did fans of the MLS team.

Both cited Wilkinson’s past with the NWSL’s Portland Thorns and MLS’ Portland Timbers, which fired him in 2022 two days after the Sally Yates report detailed his handling of 2015 sexual misconduct allegations against then-Thorns head coach Paul Riley.

Wilkinson was never banned or sanctioned by the NWSL. However, the U.S. Soccer-commissioned Yates report and a separate investigative report jointly commissioned by the NWSL and NWSL Players Association found that Wilkinson had spoken positively about Riley to the Western New York Flash, which hired the disgraced coach months after his departure from Portland.

Wilkinson, now 52, had spent two decades in Portland, dating back to his days as a player. He had been a Timbers executive since they joined MLS in 2010, and took charge of soccer operations for their sister club, the Thorns, when the NWSL launched in 2013.

In 2021, after The Athletic detailed the allegations against Riley, Wilkinson was placed on administrative leave from his Thorns role, but remained in charge of the Timbers. In 2022, he came under fire again after reports that domestic violence allegations against midfielder Andy Polo had not been reported by the club to MLS.

After his October 2022 firing, Wilkinson spent more than a year out of public-facing roles in professional soccer.

In early 2024, Sporting Kansas City hired him as its sporting director, but then “mutually agreed” to release him eight days later amid fierce backlash from fans.

He has not worked as an executive since, but earlier this year, he worked for the MLS league office in a consulting role, two sources with knowledge of the work confirmed to The Athletic. They spoke on the condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the situation. ESPN was first to report Wilkinson’s work with MLS.

Before that work, the sources said, Wilkinson participated in “restorative practices” similar to the ones that MLS players go through after on-field incidents. The process was led by Dr. Derek Suite, an outside psychiatrist and “sports mental performance specialist” who has also run the similar process for players. A league spokesperson declined to say what, exactly, it entailed.

The league never announced Wilkinson’s consulting role; it rarely makes announcements about consultants, but some employees were aware of it. Sola Winley, the league’s chief engagement officer, spoke with department heads before Wilkinson’s short-term role was finalized, one league source said.

The Quakes knew about that process when they chose Wilkinson to fill a front-office void through the end of the season. They also did not announce the hire, but ESPN reported it earlier this month.

Club officials, when contacted by The Athletic this week, would not say if or how they independently addressed the findings of the Yates report and joint NWSL and NWSLPA report in their hiring process.

They also would not say if Bay FC was consulted. The third-year NWSL club, in a statement first issued Monday to the San Francisco Chronicle, said: “As an organization committed to building a safe, inclusive, and respectful environment, we believe the actions and history associated with Wilkinson’s time in professional soccer are inconsistent with the standards we hold for those entrusted to lead in our sport.

“We stand with the players, survivors and advocates who have worked tirelessly to make soccer a safer and more inclusive place, and we will continue to put the safety, dignity, and well-being of our players and our community first.”

That came two days after some Earthquakes supporters protested Wilkinson’s hiring with a banner that read: “GW Out.” Others reportedly held up similar signs.

One of the club’s three main supporters groups, the Faultline, posted a statement in response to the hire that said: “MLS fanbases expect their front office to uphold high standards of integrity, safety and accountability. Involving Gavin Wilkinson in the Earthquakes organization, even as an advisor or consultant, sends a harmful message to supporters, community partners, staff, and players.

“Wilkinson’s repeated failure to prioritize the safety of women and hold abusive people accountable makes him unfit to work for the San Jose Earthquakes organization. We call on the Quakes to terminate the contract of Gavin Wilkinson. #GWOut.”

Quakes coach Bruce Arena, when asked about Wilkinson after Saturday’s loss to St. Louis, said: “I don’t have a comment on that. You can talk to our team president.”

Team president Jared Shawlee has not commented. Club spokespeople did not answer a series of emailed questions and have not made Wilkinson available for an interview. The club said in a statement: “Gavin Wilkinson has been retained as an independent consultant focused on roster planning. This is a defined consulting role. Gavin has no management or supervisory responsibilities and no involvement in club operations beyond that work. The club will conduct a full general manager search at the conclusion of the season.”

Wilkinson, upon his hiring in Kansas City over two years ago, referenced an “error of judgment” in Portland and said at his introductory news conference: “I should have done more.”

“I think I’ve learned I’m not perfect, but I’ve never met a perfect person,” he continued. “And you know, with me being in a very public spotlight, obviously, everyone can have an opinion, everyone can pass judgment and I’m just hopeful that fans will look at the facts and I will have plenty of opportunity with town hall and other initiatives to relate to folks and answer questions as well. And then it’s up to them to make their mind up.”