England's Emma Coates Leaves England U23 Role to Become Head Coach at NWSL's Bay FC
In a significant career move, the 34-year-old coach has stepped down from the England WU23 national team to assume the role of head coach for National Women’s Soccer League expansion side Bay FC.
Fresh Beginnings
Her appointment follows the departure of Albertin Montoya, who guided the California club during its inaugural two seasons in the premier American league. Montoya had revealed in September his intention to resign at the end of the 2025 campaign, a season which saw Bay FC occupy a lowly 13th place in the 14-team standings.
“My time with the FA has been incredible my time with the FA,” stated Coates. “The experience has been formative both professionally and personally. This feels like the right moment to challenge myself in a fresh challenge.”
Coaching Pedigree
During her tenure in 2023, Coates guided the England U23s through fixtures including a narrow win over Norway in the European U23 League and a 4-2 friendly defeat to the United States. She will be joined to the United States 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, praised Coates's qualifications: “Emma is not only an superb manager, but she also has a demonstrated history of nurturing talent to succeed on the biggest stages.”
“Coates excels at leading of teams and environments and has the strategic outlook we were looking for,” the CEO stated.
The Task Ahead
Bay FC experienced a contrasting start to its NWSL existence, securing a playoff spot and suffering a postseason defeat in its debut season before facing difficulties to a near-bottom placement in 2025.
The Football Association's new technical lead, Gavin Step, bid farewell to the outgoing coaches: “We thank Emma and Gemma for their contributions and wish them all the best with their next chapter. Emma, with Gemma, has played a pivotal part in fortifying the pipeline between the WU23s and the senior squad.”
“Their work has directly impacted the development of many young players who have gone on to become senior Lionesses,” he added.
Pathway Success
Since taking over Mo Marley in 2023, Coates presided over the advancement of multiple players to the England senior side, including playmaker Lucia Kendall—who netted her debut Lionesses goal—and forwards Michelle Agyemang and Aggie Beever-Jones.
The search for their replacements has begun, to continue the growth of the youth national team in the future.
