Sporting KC “hired Gavin Wilkinson for its front office,” on Thursday, and the move has drawn criticism from fans following Wilkinson's 2022 firing from NWSL club Portland Thorns after separate investigations into the club’s handling of player and coach misconduct, according to the AP. Longtime Sporting KC manager Peter Vermes will add the title of Chief Soccer Officer and oversee Wilkinson, who will take on the title of Sporting Dir and be responsible for player recruitment, roster building, budgeting and technical staff management. Wilkinson’s name surfaced in an independent investigation led by former AG Sally Yates into misconduct and the cover-up of abuse while he was the Thorns’ GM (AP, 1/11). In K.C., Daniel Sperry noted Wilkinson’s hire was "met with immediate blowback." Upon being introduced to reporters and other media Thursday afternoon, Wilkinson opened with a statement and apology “for the unintended consequences, and to the individuals who were impacted.” Sporting KC consulted with Nolan Partners, a sports-exec recruiting firm, on the hire. Sporting KC co-owner Mike Illig said Sporting KC’s ownership group took Wilkinson’s inclusion in the Yates report "seriously and reviewed public and private accounts of what had transpired in the past" (K.C. STAR, 1/11).
HOPEFULLY THIS IS RIGHT: In K.C., Sam McDowell asks, “Wouldn’t it be ideal if a new addition in leadership -- the one Sporting thought was so important they paid a search firm for assistance -- didn’t require an apology to women in an introductory news conference? Too much to ask?” Over 25 minutes Thursday, virtually every question thrown toward Wilkinson “revolved around the past, not the intrigue of a new future.” He took them all, “appearing regretful,” but he “denied the most serious accusations against him.” McDowell: “I’ve covered this organization long enough to know they don’t make rash decisions. They do their homework. They had better discovered all they believe they have.” McDowell adds Wilkinson, in his last role, was “one of the key figures responsible for a culture in Portland that sprouted multiple allegations.” And now, by identifying potential targets and having a weighted opinion on the construction of the roster, he will have “a significant influence on Sporting’s culture.” The backlash from the club’s fan base “was foreseeable.” The extent to which Sporting KC will feel the effects of that “remains to be seen.” McDowell: “But make no mistake -- the organization itself is not absolved from the risk here” (K.C. STAR, 1/12).
