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NC Courage Fire Coach Paul Riley After Report Alleging Sexual Coercion With Former Players

The North Carolina Courage have fired coach Paul Riley in the wake of a report from The Athletic detailing former players' accusations of sexual coercion spanning multiple teams and leagues and lasting more than a decade.

The Courage said in a statement that following the "very serious allegations of misconduct" leveled against Riley, the club terminated his contract. The team said it "support[s] the players who have come forward and we commend them for bravely sharing their stories."

NWSL commissioner Lisa Baird said in a statement that she was "shocked and disgusted" to read the new allegations reported by The Athletic on Thursday, and that in addition to the team firing Riley, the league is reporting the allegations to the United States Center for SafeSport for investigation.