Bay FC announced a slew of hires yesterday, including Graeme Abel as their Head of Domestic Scouting (College to Pro). Abel’s hiring comes as a shock given that he resigned in October 2024 from the University of Oregon amid an awful on-field record and reporting from The Oregonian that he made players feel “shamed, demeaned, and verbally abused.”  In Bay FC's press release, Sporting Director Matt Potter said, "attracting talent and the right people is central to fulfilling our club goals and ambition." How that professed mission for the club aligns with hiring Abel, who had a losing record at Oregon including going 0-16-3 in his penultimate season, is a question for Potter and Bay FC. 

When asked for comment by the San Francisco Chronical about the abuse allegations against Abel, Bay FC said, “At Bay FC, we are committed to fostering a positive and professional environment for our players, staff, and community. We are pleased to welcome Graeme Abel to our scouting staff. He brings a wealth of experience and, as with all hires, Graeme went through an extensive vetting process that included interviews and background checks through NWSL and other organizations.”

Verbal abuse is easy for nay-sayers to dismiss, but The Oregonian spoke to fourteen players (twelve players gave in-depth interviews) who all said that Abel verbally abused them. In a season where a team doesn't win a single game such as Oregon's 2023 season, it can be expected that the locker room would not have the best atmosphere, but players said that Abel's behavior crossed the line. Players said that "postgame tirades from Abel included him throwing objects across the locker room, including one instance of a water bottle that narrowly missed two players’ heads." Players said their distress was not just because of the poor on-field results, and that they had experienced Abel's behavior during previous seasons when the team had fared better on the field. One player is quoted as saying, "Our team fell apart because of the environment he created. We were just trying to get through the day. There was no way we could focus on soccer.” Players also said that Abel berated them about their fitness beyond what is appropriate, and multiple players said that they suffered from suicidal ideation. Both Abel and Oregon denied the players claims. 

Abel seemingly is a nepotism hire for Bay FC. He was an assistant coach under Bay FC's Sporting Director Matt Potter at Washington State and the University of Oklahoma and they both worked for the USWNT under Jill Ellis. Potter himself was fired as the head coach of the Kansas City Current in 2023 with such urgency that it was done on the same day the club had a game. The Current's press release said that they were parting ways with Potter "related to issues around his leadership and employment responsibilities." In a later press conference, the Kansas City Star reported that then Current GM Camille Ashton said, "We felt that this was having a significant impact on our culture and on our players and staff." While Ashton did not give specifics, she did also say that Potter's firing did not have to do with his relationship with players.

Bay FC has a sporting director (Matt Porter) who it could be questioned if he ever should have been hired, who has - despite players' claims of abuse - seemingly handed his friend (Graeme Abel) a job in the same month that it was announced that the Attorneys General of New York, Illinois, and D.C. will be monitoring the NWSL for the next three years because of the previous rampant abuse in the league. The Oregonian's reporting on Graeme Abel would fit right into the Yates Report  and the NWSL and NWSLPA's joint investigation's report. What message does this hire send to not only the University of Oregon players who came forward, but to players in the NWSL, and for that matter to players at every level of the game? In the Yates Report, in regards to her attempts to get the league to take action on Paul Riley’s abuse, Sinead Farrelly is quoted that her "communications [with the league] left her 'not sure if they were unaware or if they just did not care.'" It can’t be said that the NWSL and Bay FC don’t know about the abuse claims against Graeme Abel, so the only option left is that they do not care.

Deputy Executive Director of the NWSL Player's Association, Tori Huster, said that "The joint investigation was sought by players because, for too long, people in power refused to listen. Players suffered in silence. Change came about because of their bravery - speaking out, demanding change, and refusing to back down." With this hire by Bay FC, with the NWSL and San Diego Wave currently being sued (including for negligent hiring), and with Carly Nelson speaking out about the abuse she endured last season at the Utah Royals, can one be faulted for thinking that change hasn't actually occurred in the NWSL?