Emma Coates Leaves England Under-23s Post to Take Helm at NWSL's Bay FC

In a significant career move, the former England youth boss has stepped down from the England Women’s Under-23 national team to take over as head coach for NWSL franchise Bay FC.

Transition Stateside

Coates succeeds Albertin Montoya, who led the San Jose-based club during its debut two seasons in the premier American league. Montoya announced in September his intention to step down at the end 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. “The experience has been formative both on and off the pitch. Now, I feel ready and excited to test my abilities in a different setting.”

Coaching Pedigree

Since taking charge in 2023, Coates guided the England U23s through matches including a narrow win over Norway in the European U23 League and a 4-2 friendly defeat to the United States. Accompanying her to the NWSL is her former Lionesses staff member, Gemma Davies, a former Aston Villa manager in the WSL.

Kay Cossington, a one-time Football Association technical lead, highlighted Coates's qualifications: “Coates is an superb manager, but she also has a strong record of developing players to compete at the highest levels.”

“Her leadership qualities are exceptional of teams and environments and has the strategic outlook we were searching for,” the CEO stated.

Club Context

The club experienced 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 Football Association's new technical lead, Gavin Step, offered thanks to the outgoing coaches: “Our gratitude goes to Emma and Gemma for their contributions and extend our best wishes with their venture abroad. Emma, with Gemma, has 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 promising talents who have gone on to become senior Lionesses,” Step concluded.

Pathway Success

Since taking over Mo Marley in 2023, Coates has overseen the promotion of multiple players to the national team, including midfielder Lucia Kendall—who recently scored her first Lionesses goal—and attackers Michelle Agyemang and Aggie Beever-Jones.

An extensive process for their replacements has already commenced, with the aim to continue the development of the Women’s Under-23s setup in the future.