Wilkinson was never banned or sanctioned by the NWSL. However, the U.S. Soccer-commissioned Yates report and a separate\u00a0investigative report<\/a>\u00a0jointly 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n In 2021, after\u00a0The Athletic\u00a0detailed the allegations against Riley<\/a>, Wilkinson was placed on administrative leave from his Thorns role, but remained in charge of the Timbers. In 2022, he faced criticism again after reports that domestic violence allegations against midfielder Andy Polo had not been reported by the club to MLS<\/a>.<\/p>\n After his October 2022 firing, Wilkinson spent more than a year out of public-facing roles in professional soccer.<\/p>\n In early 2024, Sporting Kansas City hired him as its sporting director, but then\u00a0\u201cmutually agreed\u201d to release him eight days later amid fierce backlash from fans<\/a>.<\/p>\n 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\u00a0The Athletic. They spoke on the condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the situation. ESPN was first to\u00a0report<\/a>\u00a0Wilkinson\u2019s work with MLS.<\/p>\n Before that work, the sources said, Wilkinson participated in \u201crestorative practices<\/a>\u201d similar to the ones that MLS players go through after on-field incidents. The process was led by\u00a0Dr. Derek Suite<\/a>, an outside psychiatrist and \u201csports mental performance specialist\u201d who has also run a similar process for players. A league spokesperson declined to say what, exactly, it entailed.<\/p>\n The league never announced Wilkinson\u2019s consulting role; it rarely makes announcements about consultants, but some employees were aware of it. Sola Winley, the league\u2019s chief engagement officer, spoke with department heads before Wilkinson\u2019s short-term role was finalized, one league source said.<\/p>\n \n The San Jose Earthquakes share PayPal Park with the NWSL\u2019s Bay FC. (Scott Gould \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n 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\u00a0ESPN reported<\/a>\u00a0it earlier this month.<\/p>\n Club officials, when contacted by\u00a0The Athletic\u00a0this 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.<\/p>\n They also would not say if Bay FC was consulted. The third-year NWSL club, in a statement first issued Monday\u00a0to the San Francisco Chronicle<\/a>, said: \u201cAs an organization committed to building a safe, inclusive, and respectful environment, we believe the actions and history associated with Wilkinson\u2019s time in professional soccer are inconsistent with the standards we hold for those entrusted to lead in our sport.<\/p>\n \u201cWe 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.\u201d<\/p>\n That came two days after some Earthquakes supporters protested Wilkinson\u2019s hiring with a banner that read: \u201cGW Out.\u201d Others reportedly held up similar signs.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-2270461573-scaled.jpg\")
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