Bay FC has made hires to type a brand new international scouting division — together with Graeme Abel because the staff’s head of home scouting throughout the school {and professional} ranks, the group introduced Thursday. Abel was on the heart of a 2024 investigative report from over his conduct as the pinnacle coach of the ladies’s soccer staff on the College of Oregon.
The report was revealed final April, after a winless report in 2023 and the departure of 12 gamers from the staff. Fourteen former gamers spoke to The Oregonian for its story and mentioned they skilled verbal abuse and felt disgrace from Abel’s conduct as head coach. The gamers reported that he threw objects, used “harsh language” and threatened their place on the staff or their scholarship.
Abel denied the allegations through a written assertion offered to The Oregonian. “At no level have I used threatening statements or monetary repercussions as part of teaching,” he mentioned.
The College of Oregon athletic division additionally offered a press release to The Oregonian and mentioned a postseason assessment that happened after the 2023 season, prompted by participant complaints, “discovered no proof of verbal abuse from Abel or problem that warranted further motion from the college.”
Abel resigned from the head-coaching function final October, following the conclusion of the season during which the Geese went 5-11-2 with just one convention win within the Large Ten.
“We need to thank Graeme for all of his efforts with the Oregon soccer program,” mentioned Oregon athletic director Rob Mullens in this system’s official assertion. “We want him the perfect in his future endeavors.”
“At Bay FC, we’re dedicated to fostering a constructive {and professional} atmosphere for our gamers, employees, and neighborhood,” mentioned a press release offered by the membership to on Thursday. “We’re happy to welcome Graeme Abel to our scouting employees. He brings a wealth of expertise and, as with all hires, Graeme went by means of an intensive vetting course of that included interviews and background checks by means of NWSL and different organizations.”
League sources with data of NWSL’s vetting course of and background test insurance policies confirmed that Abel is classed as Tier II personnel, versus Tier I, which might require a way more rigorous vetting course of. Bay FC, conscious of the allegations in opposition to Abel, did vet the coach past what was required by his Tier II standing.
In a league coverage seen by The Athletic, Tier II personnel embrace quite a lot of roles which have common and constant interplay with gamers, corresponding to assistant basic managers and tools managers. Nevertheless, the background test for Tier II personnel solely features a legal data test on the federal and state degree, a intercourse offender search, a SafeSport test and a civil litigation test.
Tier I personnel should undergo extra substantial vetting, together with “media, social media and web searches,” in addition to third-party reference checks from former or present coaches and/or gamers — outdoors of that candidate’s checklist of references.
A league supply mentioned Abel’s tenure at Oregon and the reporting by the Oregonian would have been raised as a part of a Tier I vetting course of. In accordance with a staff supply with data of the interview course of for Abel and the staff’s vetting, Bay FC did discuss to Oregon’s athletic director regarding Abel’s resignation in October.
“Graeme brings a wealth of expertise and experience from his work at a number of World Cups and a deep understanding of the worldwide sport,” Van Rijbroek mentioned within the information launch saying the scouting division. “With a long-standing dedication to the ladies’s sport throughout varied roles, his in depth data and fervour elevate our scouting and recruitment efforts, guaranteeing we proceed to establish and appeal to high expertise.”
The staff’s sporting director, Matt Potter, additionally has connections to Abel by means of earlier teaching roles. Whereas Potter was head coach of each the Washington State and Oklahoma girls’s soccer applications, Abel served as an assistant coach at each.
This text initially appeared in .
Bay FC, Soccer, NWSL
2025 The Athletic Media Firm
