England's Emma Coates Leaves England U23 Position to Take Helm at National Women's Soccer League's Bay FC
Marking a major shift in her coaching journey, the 34-year-old coach has stepped down from the England WU23 national team to be appointed head coach for NWSL expansion side Bay FC.
Transition Stateside
She takes over from Albertin Montoya, who was at the helm of the San Jose-based club during its inaugural two seasons in the top-flight American league. Montoya stated in September his intention to depart at the end of the 2025 campaign, a season which saw Bay FC occupy a lowly 13th place in the league standings.
“It has been a privilege to serve my time with the FA,” commented Coates. “It has been instrumental in my development both professionally and personally. Now, I feel ready and excited to test my abilities in a new environment.”
Coaching Pedigree
In her time at the helm in 2023, Coates managed the England U23s through fixtures including a 1-0 victory over Norway in the continental competition and a high-scoring loss to the United States. She will be joined to the NWSL is her England assistant, Gemma Davies, a ex- Aston Villa manager in the English top division.
Kay Cossington, a one-time Football Association technical lead, spoke highly of Coates's abilities: “She is both an excellent coach, but she also has a demonstrated history of nurturing talent to thrive domestically and internationally.”
“Her leadership qualities are exceptional of teams and environments and has the strategic outlook we were searching for,” added Cossington.
Club Context
The California side experienced a contrasting start to its NWSL existence, securing a playoff spot and suffering a postseason defeat in its first year before facing difficulties to a near-bottom placement in 2025.
The Football Association's new technical lead, Gavin Step, offered thanks to the outgoing coaches: “We thank Emma and Gemma for their service and extend our best wishes with their new challenge. Emma, with Gemma, has played a key role in fortifying the pipeline between the young Lionesses and the first team.”
“Their work has directly influenced the development of many young players who have earned call-ups to senior Lionesses,” he added.
Lasting Legacy
After succeeding Mo Marley in 2023, Coates has been integral to the advancement of several players to the Lionesses squad, including midfielder Lucia Kendall—who recently scored her debut Lionesses goal—and attackers Michelle Agyemang and Aggie Beever-Jones.
Discussions for their replacements has already commenced, with the aim to continue the progress of the Women’s Under-23s setup in the coming years.
