Canadian Rhian Wilkinson steps down as Thorns head coach following investigation

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This article was published 02/12/2022 (1397 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

PORTLAND, Ore. – Canadian Rhian Wilkinson has stepped down as head coach of the National Women’s Soccer League’s Portland Thorns, saying players asked her to resign following an investigation into misconduct.

Wilkinson said in a statement Friday that she was cleared of wrongdoing following an investigation into a relationship with one of her players.

She said players found out about the investigation before she could tell them and asked her to step down, which she agreed to do.

Wilkinson said she formed a friendship with a player that “turned into more complex emotions.”

She said the relationship didn’t progress past an “expression of feelings for one another” and shortly after she and the player stopped communicating outside of work.

Wilkinson said she reported herself to the Thorns’ human resources department.

“The investigative process and player and staff willingness to use human resources and league reporting is critically important,” Wilkinson said. “If the women’s game is to avoid further power imbalances and player abuses, these systems must be used and there must be trust in the process and its results. We must keep highlighting these processes.”

The investigation revealed no evidence of abuse of power or coercion.

“The Portland Thorns and Coach Wilkinson followed all League processes and policies and fully cooperated with this investigation,” NWSL Commissioner Jessica Berman said in a statement. “The joint investigative team conducted a thorough investigation that resulted in a finding of no violation of League policies.”

The news of Wilkinson’s departure comes a day after Thorns owner Merritt Paulson said he is putting the team up for sale. That decision came nearly two months after a pair of team executives were dismissed for their roles in systemic abuse and misconduct that had spanned multiple teams in the NWSL, including the Thorns.

The investigation was launched last year after North Carolina coach Paul Riley, the former coach of the Thorns, was accused of sexually harassing and coercing players. Riley, who was fired by the Courage, denied the allegations. He was one of five coaches in the league who were dismissed or stepped down last year amid claims of misconduct.

The Yates report detailed how the Thorns mishandled complaints about Riley when he coached the team in 2014-15.

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Wilkinson was hired as Thorns coach in Nov. 2021 and led the Thorns to an NWSL title last season.

The team’s captain, Christine Sinclair, and general manager, Karina LeBlanc, are also Canadian.

The 40-year-old Wilkinson, from Baie d’Urfe, Que., won 181 caps for Canada’s women’s team and helped it win a bronze medal at the 2012 London Olympics.

— With files from The Associated Press

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 2, 2022.