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In a significant career move, the 34-year-old coach has resigned her post with the England WU23 national team to take over as head coach for NWSL franchise Bay FC.

Transition Stateside

Coates succeeds Albertin Montoya, who guided the San Jose-based club during its inaugural two seasons in the premier American league. Montoya had revealed in September his intention to resign at the conclusion of the 2025 campaign, a season which saw Bay FC end up 13th in the 14-team standings.

“It has been a privilege to serve my time with the FA,” commented Coates. “The experience has been formative both professionally and personally. Now, I feel ready and excited to test my abilities in a fresh challenge.”

Coaching Pedigree

During her tenure in 2023, Coates guided the England U23s through fixtures including a 1-0 victory over Norway in the European U23 League and a 4-2 friendly defeat to the United States. Accompanying her to the United States is her right-hand woman, Gemma Davies, a former Aston Villa manager in the English top division.

Bay FC's CEO, a former FA women’s technical director, highlighted Coates's abilities: “Coates is an excellent coach, but she also has a demonstrated history of nurturing talent to thrive domestically and internationally.”

“She is an outstanding leader of teams and environments and has the strategic outlook we were looking for,” added Cossington.

Club Context

The club had a rollercoaster start to its NWSL existence, securing a playoff spot and suffering a postseason defeat in its first year before facing difficulties to a 13th-place finish in 2025.

The Football Association's new technical lead, Gavin Step, bid farewell to the outgoing coaches: “Our gratitude goes to Emma and Gemma for their contributions and extend our best wishes with their venture abroad. Emma, with Gemma, has played a crucial part in strengthening the pathway between the WU23s and the senior squad.”

“Their work has directly influenced the development of many young players who have earned call-ups to senior Lionesses,” Step concluded.

Lasting Legacy

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

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