England's Emma Coates Leaves the Young Lionesses Position to Take Helm at NWSL's Bay FC
Marking a major shift in her coaching journey, the 34-year-old coach has resigned her post with the England Women’s Under-23 national team to be appointed head coach for NWSL expansion side Bay FC.
A New Chapter
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 step down at the conclusion 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,” stated Coates. “It has been instrumental in my development both on and off the pitch. This feels like the right moment to push myself in a different setting.”
Proven Developer
During her tenure in 2023, Coates guided 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 United States is her former Lionesses staff member, Gemma Davies, a former Aston Villa manager in the Women’s Super League.
Bay FC's CEO, a one-time Football Association technical lead, spoke highly of Coates's qualifications: “She is both an superb manager, but she also has a proven track record of elevating athletes to succeed on the biggest stages.”
“Coates excels at leading of people and culture and has the football vision we were looking for,” added Cossington.
Club Context
Bay FC had a mixed start to its NWSL existence, finishing in seventh place and losing in the playoffs in its inaugural campaign before slipping to a 13th-place finish in 2025.
The Football Association's new technical lead, 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 venture abroad. They have played a pivotal part in strengthening the pathway between the young Lionesses and the first team.”
“Their work has directly impacted the development of many young players who have earned call-ups to senior Lionesses,” he finished.
Player Progression
Since taking over Mo Marley in 2023, Coates presided over the advancement of several players to the Lionesses squad, including midfielder Lucia Kendall—who netted her debut Lionesses goal—and attackers Michelle Agyemang and Aggie Beever-Jones.
The search for their replacements has begun, to continue the growth of the WU23 program in the coming years.
