Gavin Wilkinson, the controversial former president of soccer for the Portland Timbers and Thorns, has joined the San Jose Earthquakes as a consultant.
Wilkinson, 52, has had a successful career overseeing Portland’s MLS and NWSL franchises. The Timbers and the Thorns each won league titles under his watch, but Wilkinson was fired in October 2022 following an investigation into alleged abuses across the NWSL.
The so-called Yates report raised questions about Wilkinson’s handling of sexual harassment allegations against former Thorns coach Paul Riley, but he was never penalized. Sporting Kansas City hired Wilkinson in 2024 to serve as its sporting director, but eight days later the team announced they were parting ways in the wake of “impassioned” negative response from their fans regarding the hire.
With the Quakes, Wilkinson will work under head coach and sporting director Bruce Arena and help with roster management.
“Gavin is a consultant on roster management until the end of the year,” San Jose said in a statement on Saturday. “We plan to do a GM search to support Bruce Arena after the season.”