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In a significant career move, the 34-year-old coach has left her position leading the England WU23 national team to take over as head coach for National Women’s Soccer League expansion side Bay FC.

Transition Stateside

Coates succeeds Albertin Montoya, who guided the California club during its inaugural two seasons in the premier American league. Montoya stated in September his intention to step down at the end of the 2025 campaign, a season which saw Bay FC finish second-bottom in the league standings.

“It has been a privilege to serve my time with the FA,” stated Coates. “It has been instrumental in my development both professionally and personally. I am now prepared and eager to test my abilities in a new environment.”

Coaching Pedigree

Since taking charge in 2023, Coates oversaw the England U23s through matches including a narrow win over Norway in the European U23 League and a 4-2 friendly defeat 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: “Coates is an superb manager, but she also has a proven track record of nurturing talent to thrive domestically and internationally.”

“She is an outstanding leader of squads and building ethos and has the tactical philosophy we were searching for,” added Cossington.

Bay FC's Journey

Bay FC had a contrasting start to its NWSL existence, securing a playoff spot and losing in the playoffs in its debut season before struggling 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 service and extend our best wishes with their next chapter. Emma, with Gemma, has played a key role in fortifying the pipeline between the WU23s and the senior squad.”

“Their work has directly influenced the development of many young players who have gone on to become senior Lionesses,” he finished.

Pathway Success

After succeeding Mo Marley in 2023, Coates has been integral to the advancement of a number of players to the national team, including midfielder Lucia Kendall—who recently scored her first Lionesses goal—and forwards Michelle Agyemang and Aggie Beever-Jones.

An extensive process for successors to fill the roles is now underway, with the aim to continue the growth of the Women’s Under-23s setup in the future.