Bay FC has denounced the San Jose Earthquakes for their recent hire of Gavin Wilkinson as a consultant until the end of the season.
The hire has generated controversy after Wilkinson's long tenure as general
manager and president of soccer of both the Portland Timbers of MLS and Portland Thorns of the NWSL.
Wilkinson was fired in 2022 after he was named in the Yates Report, which detailed systematic abuse
by several coaches in the NWSL.According to the Yates Report, Wilkinson recommended head coach Paul Riley to the Western New York Flash in 2016, despite having recently dismissed him for cause due to sexual coercion of multiple Thorns players.
Wilkinson was also implicated in the Timbers' failure to report domestic violence allegations against the club's midfielder Andy Polo. MLS fined the organization $25,000 in 2022 for "failure to promptly and appropriately report the incident."
In a statement provided to USA TODAY Sports, Bay FC said: "As an organization committed to building a safe, inclusive, and respectful environment, we believe the actions and history associated with Wilkinson’s time in professional soccer are inconsistent with the standards we hold for those entrusted to lead in our sport."
The NWSL club continued: "We 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."
Bay FC and the Earthquakes are not affiliated but the clubs share PayPal Park in San Jose.
Sporting Kansas City hired Wilkinson as sporting director in 2024, but the club backtracked on the decision after just a week following a furious backlash from fans.
Some Earthquakes fans have also expressed disappointment at the club's decision to hire Wilkinson, with a "GW OUT" banner seen at Saturday's home game against St. Louis SC.
Looks like Gavin Wilkinson’s hiring by #Quakes74 (on a consultancy basis) has been noticed by the fans in the LOBINA end of PayPal Park.
— Jeff Carlisle (@jeffreycarlisle.bsky.social) 2026-08-16T02:55:06.266Z
Following the game, San Jose head coach Bruce Arena was asked about the club's hire of Wilkinson.
"I don't want to comment on that," Arena said. "You can talk to our team president about that."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Bay FC statement denounces San Jose Earthquakes' hiring of Gavin Wilkinson
