Coach Emma Coates Exits the Young Lionesses Position to Take Helm at NWSL's Bay FC

Embarking on a fresh professional challenge, the 34-year-old coach has resigned her post with the England WU23 national team to assume the role of head coach for NWSL expansion side Bay FC.

Fresh Beginnings

She takes over from Albertin Montoya, who guided the California club during its inaugural two seasons in the top-flight American league. Montoya announced in September his intention to resign 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,” commented Coates. “The experience has been formative both in my career and as an individual. Now, I feel ready and excited to push myself in a fresh challenge.”

Coaching Pedigree

Since taking charge in 2023, Coates oversaw the England U23s through fixtures including a narrow win over Norway in the continental competition and a 4-2 friendly defeat to the United States. She will be joined to the NWSL is her right-hand woman, Gemma Davies, a ex- Aston Villa manager in the WSL.

The club's chief executive, a former FA women’s technical director, spoke highly of Coates's qualifications: “Coates is an outstanding tactician, but she also has a proven track record of elevating athletes to compete at the highest levels.”

“She is an outstanding leader of squads and building ethos and has the football vision we were searching for,” the CEO stated.

The Task Ahead

The club had a rollercoaster start to its NWSL existence, securing a playoff spot and losing in the playoffs 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 contributions and extend our best wishes with their new challenge. Emma, with Gemma, has played a pivotal part in bolstering the progression route between the young Lionesses and the first team.”

“Their work has directly influenced the development of many promising talents who have gone on to become senior Lionesses,” he finished.

Player Progression

After succeeding Mo Marley in 2023, Coates presided over the promotion of a number of players to the national team, including playmaker Lucia Kendall—who netted her first Lionesses goal—and forwards Michelle Agyemang and Aggie Beever-Jones.

The search for new U23 coaching staff is now underway, as the FA looks to continue the growth of the Women’s Under-23s setup in the coming years.