England's Emma Coates Departs England Under-23s Position to Take Helm at National Women's Soccer League's Bay FC
Embarking on a fresh professional challenge, the former England youth boss has resigned her post with the England WU23 national team to take over as head coach for NWSL franchise Bay FC.
Transition Stateside
Her appointment follows the departure of Albertin Montoya, who guided the San Jose-based club during its inaugural two seasons in the top-flight 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 league standings.
“I have thoroughly enjoyed my time with the FA,” commented Coates. “It has been instrumental in my development both on and off the pitch. I am now prepared and eager to test my abilities in a fresh challenge.”
Coaching Pedigree
In her time at the helm in 2023, Coates guided the England U23s through fixtures including a 1-0 victory over Norway in the European U23 League and a 4-2 friendly defeat to the United States. She will be joined to the NWSL is her England assistant, Gemma Davies, a former Aston Villa manager in the WSL.
Kay Cossington, a one-time Football Association technical lead, spoke highly of Coates's qualifications: “Coates is an excellent coach, but she also has a strong record of developing players to compete at the highest levels.”
“Coates excels at leading of squads and building ethos and has the tactical philosophy we were looking for,” she continued.
The Task Ahead
The California side had a rollercoaster start to its NWSL existence, securing a playoff spot and suffering a postseason defeat in its first year before facing difficulties to a near-bottom placement 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 wish them all the best with their next chapter. Emma, with Gemma, has played a pivotal part in strengthening the pathway between the young Lionesses and the first team.”
“Their work has directly influenced the development of many promising talents who have progressed into senior Lionesses,” Step concluded.
Lasting Legacy
After succeeding 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.
An extensive process for successors to fill the roles has already commenced, to continue the progress of the Women’s Under-23s setup in the future.
