England's Emma Coates Departs the Young Lionesses Position to Take Helm at NWSL's Bay FC

Marking a major shift in her coaching journey, Emma Coates has resigned her post with the England WU23 national team to take over as head coach for NWSL franchise Bay FC.

Transition Stateside

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 depart at the conclusion 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. “The experience has been formative both professionally and personally. I am now prepared and eager to test my abilities in a new environment.”

Proven Developer

Since taking charge in 2023, Coates guided the England U23s through fixtures including a 1-0 victory over Norway in the European U23 League and a high-scoring loss to the United States. Making the move alongside her to America is her England assistant, Gemma Davies, a former Aston Villa manager in the English top division.

Kay Cossington, a one-time Football Association technical lead, highlighted Coates's qualifications: “Coates is an excellent coach, but she also has a proven track record of nurturing talent to succeed on the biggest stages.”

“Coates excels at leading of squads and building ethos and has the tactical philosophy we were searching for,” added Cossington.

Club Context

The club had a mixed start to its NWSL existence, finishing in seventh place and losing in the playoffs in its inaugural campaign before facing difficulties to a near-bottom placement in 2025.

The Football Association's new technical lead, Gavin Step, bid farewell to the departing duo: “We thank Emma and Gemma for their time with us and extend our best wishes with their next chapter. They have played a crucial part in fortifying the pipeline between the young Lionesses and the first team.”

“Together, they have directly shaped the development of many promising talents who have earned call-ups to senior Lionesses,” he finished.

Pathway Success

After succeeding Mo Marley in 2023, Coates presided over the promotion of a number of players to the Lionesses squad, including midfielder Lucia Kendall—who recently scored her debut Lionesses goal—and attackers Michelle Agyemang and Aggie Beever-Jones.

The search for successors to fill the roles has begun, with the aim to continue the progress of the Women’s Under-23s setup in the coming years.