19 January 2024
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Sporting Kansas City has mutually agreed to part ways with their recently hired sporting director, Gavin Wilkinson eight days after he was hired.
Wilkinson was the general manager of the Portland Thorns when former Thorns head coach Paul Riley garnered allegations of sexual misconduct in the Yates Report, an independent investigation led by former United States Attorney General Sally Yates into the U.S. Soccer Federation concerning allegations and abusive behavior in women’s professional soccer.
Paul Riley was the head coach from 2014–2015.
Sporting KC principal owner Mike Illig released a statement coinciding with the news:
“We want to share with the Sporting Kansas City community that we have mutually agreed with Gavin Wilkinson to release him from his recently announced role with our Club.
In making this difficult decision, we want to first acknowledge the passion of our fans, our community of supporters, our partners and our stakeholders. Together, they comprise our deeply valued Sporting family. Our action today demonstrates our longstanding, unequivocal respect for their voices, and the belief that we are all stronger when we listen to one another.
We ran a diligent and exhaustive process to identify our new Sporting Director. It was grounded in the deeply-held principles and standards we have adhered to since the day we acquired the team.
That said, the impassioned response from our fans reinforced to us a fundamental philosophy that has driven us since Day One: To honor and protect our valued relationships. It is in that spirit that we take this action today, reflective of our abiding appreciation for our unrivaled SKC fans and our Kansas City community.“
Riley was one of five coaches fired in the 2021 NWSL abuse scandal for sexual misconduct and mistreatment of players that spanned over a 10-year coaching period.
Wilkinson hired Riley and reportedly tried to hide Riley’s sexual misconduct from the public. He was eventually placed on administrative leave and replaced.
A secondhand account in the Yates report stated that Wilkinson told a Western New York executive that Riley was “put in a bad position” by a player who accused him of misconduct and said that he would hire the head coach “in a heartbeat.”
Wilkinson was also implicated in the Timbers’ failure to report domestic violence allegations against midfielder Andy Polo in 2021.
Wilkinson’s hire led to an outcry and plenty of backlash from fans voicing their frustration with the hire.
Supporter groups Kansas City Cauldron and South Stand Supporters Club each released statements condemning the hire and praising Wilkinson’s departure and stating that the groups have had daily communication with Sporting KC’s front office.
“We have worked tirelessly to ensure Sporting has heard us and understand the impact on their decision on our members,” the statement said. “As you’ve seen this morning, Sporting has listened and has rescinded Gavin’s offer effective immediately.
“We have worked hard to maintain the integrity and trust that we have built within our organization. We are excited to go into the 2024 season knowing that Sporting values the input of our leadership, members and the entire Sporting family.”