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In a significant career move, the 34-year-old coach has stepped down from the England WU23 national team to be appointed head coach for National Women’s Soccer League franchise Bay FC.

Transition Stateside

Coates succeeds Albertin Montoya, who led the San Jose-based club during its inaugural two seasons in the premier American league. Montoya stated in September his intention to resign at the conclusion of the 2025 campaign, a season which saw Bay FC finish second-bottom in the league standings.

“I have thoroughly enjoyed my time with the FA,” commented Coates. “It has been instrumental in my development both on and off the pitch. I am now prepared and eager to push myself in a fresh challenge.”

Coaching Pedigree

During her tenure in 2023, Coates guided the England U23s through matches 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 NWSL is her England assistant, Gemma Davies, a former Aston Villa manager in the English top division.

Kay Cossington, a former FA women’s technical director, praised Coates's abilities: “Coates is an excellent coach, but she also has a strong record of developing players to thrive domestically and internationally.”

“Coates excels at leading of people and culture and has the football vision we were looking for,” added Cossington.

Club Context

Bay FC experienced a contrasting start to its NWSL existence, securing a playoff spot and suffering a postseason defeat in its inaugural campaign before slipping to a 13th-place finish in 2025.

The Football Association's new technical lead, Gavin Step, bid farewell to the departing duo: “Our gratitude goes to Emma and Gemma for their contributions and extend our best wishes with their venture abroad. They have played a pivotal part in fortifying the pipeline between the young Lionesses and the first team.”

“Their work has directly impacted 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 has been integral to the rise of multiple players to the Lionesses squad, 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 is now underway, to continue the development of the Women’s Under-23s setup in the coming years.