Portland Thorns coach Rhian Wilkinson resigned Friday, just five weeks after she led the team to the National Women’s Soccer League championship.
Wilkinson issued a statement that said players had asked for her resignation and she complied. Wilkinson said she was investigated and cleared of wrongdoing by the NWSL and its players union after she self-reported that she and a player had developed feelings for one another but had never acted upon them. She said she and the player eventually “stopped all communication outside of work.”
“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.”
