Bay FC has found its new head coach, leaning into the development side of the game to hire Emma Coates away from England’s Under-23 team.
Coates, a former Leeds United player, has managed the U-23 Lionesses since 2023, directing an undefeated 2023-24 European league campaign.
“Emma is not only an excellent coach, but she also has a proven track record of developing players to compete at the highest levels of both the domestic and international game,” Bay Collective CEO Kay Cossington said in the club’s announcement. “She is an outstanding leader of people and culture and has the football vision we were looking for.”
Cossington, who led the coaching search as an executive for Bay FC’s parent company, was the women’s technical director for England before leaving for Bay FC in May.
“From my first conversations with Bay FC, it was clear that the club shares my passion for people, performance, and culture which I believe are fundamental to sustained success,” Coates said in a statement. “I’m eager to get back on the grass every day, to work closely with the players and staff, and to meet the fans at PayPal Park.”
Coates, 34, also worked elsewhere in the English FA after starting out as a head coach for Doncaster Rovers Belles. She was a specialist coach for young players, then became the U-19 coach before taking over the U-23s.
The club’s release emphasized Coates’ work in “individual player growth, culture building and modern, possession-based football.”
In addition to Coates’ hire, Bay announced the addition of Gemma Davies to the coaching staff as an assistant. She was also an assistant coach under Coates for England’s U-23 team and previously served as the nation’s U-19 head coach and the manager of Aston Villa’s women’s side.
The additions are pending visa approval.
Coates replaces Albertin Montoya, who managed Bay during its first two seasons. In Bay’s inaugural season, it made the NWSL playoffs but the 2025 season brought a significant downturn in results as Bay FC earned just 20 points over 26 matches.
Montoya, who will remain involved with the club, announced plans in September to step down after the season. Player allegations of a toxic club culture in the lead-up to the 2025 season prompted an NWSL investigation of Montoya and his staff, which did not result in discipline but cast clouds over the club’s second season.
Bay FC founder Brandi Chastain told this news organization last month before PayPal Park hosted the NWSL championship that she expected next year’s team to look different.
“We will have some new players. Having new leadership, it doesn’t happen overnight,” she said. “But the potential is here. We understand more than we did when we started out.”
Coates and Davies will be introduced at a press conference on Dec. 10.
