Marking a major shift in her coaching journey, Emma Coates has resigned her post with the England Women’s Under-23 national team to be appointed head coach for NWSL franchise Bay FC.
Coates succeeds Albertin Montoya, who was at the helm of the California club during its debut two seasons in the premier American league. Montoya stated in September his intention to step down at the end of the 2025 campaign, a season which saw Bay FC occupy a lowly 13th place in the league standings.
“My time with the FA has been incredible my time with the FA,” remarked Coates. “It has helped shape me both professionally and personally. I am now prepared and eager to test my abilities in a fresh challenge.”
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 high-scoring loss to the United States. She will be joined to the NWSL is her former Lionesses staff member, Gemma Davies, a former Aston Villa manager in the WSL.
Bay FC's CEO, a one-time Football Association technical lead, highlighted Coates's qualifications: “She is both an superb manager, but she also has a demonstrated history of nurturing talent to succeed on the biggest stages.”
“She is an outstanding leader of squads and building ethos and has the strategic outlook we were looking for,” added Cossington.
The club experienced a mixed start to its NWSL existence, securing a playoff spot and losing in the playoffs in its debut season before struggling to a near-bottom placement in 2025.
Gavin Step, Gavin Step, bid farewell to the departing duo: “Our gratitude goes to Emma and Gemma for their contributions and wish them all the best with their new challenge. Emma, with Gemma, has played a key role in fortifying the pipeline between the young Lionesses and the first team.”
“Together, they have directly impacted the development of many promising talents who have gone on to become senior Lionesses,” he finished.
After succeeding Mo Marley in 2023, Coates has overseen the advancement of multiple players to the national team, including playmaker Lucia Kendall—who netted her first Lionesses goal—and attackers Michelle Agyemang and Aggie Beever-Jones.
An extensive process for successors to fill the roles is now underway, to continue the development of the Women’s Under-23s setup in the future.
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