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Portland Thorns head coach Rhian Wilkinson announced her resignation after one season in a Friday morning Instagram post.
“I would like to thank the Portland Thorns organization, the fans, the staff and most importantly the players for a remarkable year,” she wrote. “During my time in Portland, I met some incredible people and been fortunate enough to coach some of the best players in the game.
“It was a year to remember.”
The first-year head coach and 14-year Canadian national team competitor was investigated for her conduct as a head coach, conduct she says she reported to Thorns human resources to “make sure she had not crossed any ethical lines.” She had exchanged messages with a Portland Thorns player, who she said had shared feelings for one another, but never acted upon them.
“There was no relationship,” Wilkinson told The Athletic's Meg Linehan, a statement she repeated in her Instagram post. “Feelings were shared by text message and I reciprocated feelings. Straightaway, the player and I — because both of us truly believe in the process and what needs to happen in this league — took steps the next day to do things the right way.”
Rhian Wilkinson had been cleared of any wrongdoing by the Thorns before her resignation and investigation by the League and the National Women's Soccer League Player's Association, she said on Friday.
“The Portland Thorns and Coach Wilkinson followed all League processes and policies and fully cooperated with this investigation,” said NWSL Commissioner Jessica Berman in a statement. “The joint investigative team conducted a thorough investigation that resulted in a finding of no violation of League policies.”
The Thorns and the Portland Timbers released President of Soccer Gavin Wilkinson and President of Business Mike Golub following the release of the Sally Q. Yates report, a 173-page report that began in October 2021 to “review allegations of past abusive behavior and sexual misconduct in women’s professional soccer.”
