🔗 Share this article Emma Coates Leaves England U23 Position to Assume Command at National Women's Soccer League's Bay FC In a significant career move, the former England youth boss has resigned her post with the Young Lionesses national team to take over as head coach for NWSL expansion side Bay FC. A New Chapter Coates succeeds Albertin Montoya, who guided the California club during its first 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. “My time with the FA has been incredible my time with the FA,” commented Coates. “The experience has been formative both on and off the pitch. Now, I feel ready and excited to test my abilities in a fresh challenge.” Track Record of Success During her tenure in 2023, Coates managed the England U23s through matches including a 1-0 victory 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 England assistant, Gemma Davies, a ex- Aston Villa manager in the English top division. The club's chief executive, a one-time Football Association technical lead, praised Coates's qualifications: “She is both an superb manager, but she also has a demonstrated history of elevating athletes to compete at the highest levels.” “She is an outstanding leader of teams and environments and has the tactical philosophy we were looking for,” she continued. Club Context The club experienced a mixed start to its NWSL existence, securing a playoff spot and suffering a postseason defeat in its debut season before slipping to a 13th-place finish in 2025. The Football Association's new technical lead, Gavin Step, bid farewell to the outgoing coaches: “We thank Emma and Gemma for their service and extend our best wishes with their next chapter. Emma, with Gemma, has played a key role in bolstering the progression route between the WU23s and the senior squad.” “Their work has directly shaped the development of many promising talents who have progressed into senior Lionesses,” Step concluded. Player Progression After succeeding Mo Marley in 2023, Coates presided over the promotion of a number of players to the England senior side, including midfielder Lucia Kendall—who recently scored her first Lionesses goal—and attackers Michelle Agyemang and Aggie Beever-Jones. The search for their replacements is now underway, with the aim to continue the progress of the Women’s Under-23s setup in the future.