Coach Emma Coates Leaves England Under-23s Post to Become Head Coach at National Women's Soccer League's Bay FC
In a significant career move, the former England youth boss has stepped down from the Young Lionesses national team to assume the role of head coach for NWSL expansion side Bay FC.
Transition Stateside
She takes over from Albertin Montoya, who guided the San Jose-based club during its first two seasons in the top-flight American league. Montoya announced in September his intention to resign at the conclusion of the 2025 campaign, a season which saw Bay FC end up 13th in the league standings.
“My time with the FA has been incredible my time with the FA,” remarked Coates. “It has been instrumental in my development both in my career and as an individual. This feels like the right moment to challenge myself in a different setting.”
Coaching Pedigree
Since taking charge in 2023, Coates managed the England U23s through matches 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 United States is her right-hand woman, Gemma Davies, a ex- Aston Villa manager in the WSL.
Bay FC's CEO, a former FA women’s technical director, praised Coates's credentials: “She is both an superb manager, but she also has a demonstrated history of elevating athletes to succeed on the biggest stages.”
“She is an outstanding leader of squads and building ethos and has the football vision we were searching for,” she continued.
Bay FC's Journey
The club had a rollercoaster start to its NWSL existence, securing a playoff spot and suffering a postseason defeat in its inaugural campaign before slipping to a 13th-place finish in 2025.
The new FA women’s technical director, Gavin Step, bid farewell to the outgoing coaches: “We thank Emma and Gemma for their time with us and extend our best wishes with their new challenge. They have played a key role in bolstering the progression route between the WU23s and the senior squad.”
“Together, they have directly impacted the development of many young players who have progressed into senior Lionesses,” he added.
Player Progression
After succeeding Mo Marley in 2023, Coates presided over 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.
The search for successors to fill the roles has already commenced, as the FA looks to continue the growth of the WU23 program in the coming years.
