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Marking a major shift in her coaching journey, the 34-year-old coach has left her position leading the Young Lionesses national team to be appointed head coach for National Women’s Soccer League franchise Bay FC.

Transition Stateside

Her appointment follows the departure of Albertin Montoya, who was at the helm of the San Jose-based club during its debut two seasons in the top-flight American league. Montoya had revealed 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.

“It has been a privilege to serve my time with the FA,” commented Coates. “It has been instrumental in my development both professionally and personally. Now, I feel ready and excited to test my abilities in a different setting.”

Track Record of Success

During her tenure in 2023, Coates managed 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. Making the move alongside her to the NWSL is her former Lionesses staff member, Gemma Davies, a ex- Aston Villa manager in the Women’s Super League.

The club's chief executive, a one-time Football Association technical lead, spoke highly of Coates's qualifications: “She is both an superb manager, but she also has a strong record of developing players to succeed on the biggest stages.”

“Coates excels at leading of people and culture and has the strategic outlook we were searching for,” the CEO stated.

The Task Ahead

The California side had a mixed start to its NWSL existence, finishing in seventh place and suffering a postseason defeat in its inaugural campaign before slipping to a 13th-place finish in 2025.

The new FA women’s technical director, Gavin Step, offered thanks to the outgoing coaches: “Our gratitude goes to Emma and Gemma for their time with us and extend our best wishes with their venture abroad. They have played a key role in bolstering the progression route between the WU23s and the senior squad.”

“Together, they have directly shaped the development of many promising talents who have gone on to become senior Lionesses,” Step concluded.

Lasting Legacy

Since taking over Mo Marley in 2023, Coates presided over the promotion of a number of players to the England senior side, including playmaker Lucia Kendall—who netted her first Lionesses goal—and attackers Michelle Agyemang and Aggie Beever-Jones.

An extensive process for successors to fill the roles has already commenced, with the aim to continue the development of the Women’s Under-23s setup in the coming years.