Bay FC begins ‘next phase’ with introduction of new coach Emma Coates

SAN FRANCISCO Aboard a historic ferryboat that swayed side-to-side in the San Francisco Bay the setting for Bay FC s big announcement did more than induce motion sickness The choppy waters below and the sun shining overhead provided easy imagery for what the young franchise hopes will be a turning point It was a decidedly unfamiliar atmosphere for the two women on stage who got to know each other long ago under the gray skies of the English countryside and now will determine the direction of the NWSL club that just concluded a turbulent second season Kay Cossington who came across the pond six months ago to helm Bay FC s parent company concluded a monthslong search to find its second coach on Wednesday by introducing her longtime associate from Britain Emma Coates Cossington who came prepared with an anti-nausea patch outlined a new phase for Bay following a year that included a league scrutiny to the club s civilization a stagnant offense and a second-to-last-place finish that resulted in the resignation of Albertin Montoya who helmed the club for its first two seasons And why Coates a -year-old from a little village in North Yorkshire was the right woman for the job We want to have a really distinct Bay FC style of play that s going to drive a winning mentality and get the preponderance out of our players explained Cossington who previously worked in the league office of the English Football Association where Coates has coached its amateur national teams since When we went on the journey to look at what a head coach needed to have what the key credentials were it was about somebody that had the experience and truly been there evolving players evolving systems and stars and has won things Coates began her coaching career at and preponderance of late managed the U- Lionesses one step below the English national unit where she worked closely with Serina Wiegman the leader of the Lionesses top squad She graduated players to the senior company without interrupting the junior squad s success on the field leading an undefeated European league campaign in - The bit that I really want to implement is How do we play with variety How do we create a style of play that suits the identity of the club but the players that we have it brings out the best in them Coates noted That s something that working really closely with Serina over the past couple of seasons that I learned from her Coates disclosed her relationship with Cossington goes back a long long time As soon as she heard Cossington s plans to leave FA and start Bay Collective which could eventually expand beyond Bay FC Coates began to think about approaches to follow her Cossington described a global search process but announced the list of candidates swiftly narrowed and I m delighted to say the lady sitting next to me right now ticks all those boxes The mention of Coates gender generated hoots and hollers from the supporters groups on board Despite the NWSL serving as the top women s domestic league she will be only the third woman out of currently filled head coaching positions At years of age she will also be the league s second-youngest ongoing coach replacing Montoya I think it s so critical that we re given the opportunity and that there s space for females to lead noted Coates who also brings her top assistant Gemma Davies Hopefully that will generate more female coaches at the top level While Cossington mentioned she valued female role models for a few of our female coaches in the industry they don t just need to be good they need to be great And I think we ve got somebody great here right now and we want to give greatness an opportunity Coates takes the reins at a crossroads for the franchise It made a surprising playoff run in its inaugural season but went backward this past season earning only points in matches The season began with an scrutiny into a reportedly toxic society under Montoya a prominent local youth coach with limited professional experience He was eventually cleared of wrongdoing but submitted his resignation with eight games left The shakeup extends beyond the coaching staff Cossington came on board in June and hired two more foreign executives to the Bay Collective front office in October adding Anja van Ginhoven also from FA and Patricia Gonz lez from Atl tico Madrid to foster the club s global interests Bay FC is also still searching for a replacement for Brady Stewart its founding CEO who departed in September Related Articles Bay FC hires new manager Coates citing developmental work for England Really good vibes no notes MVP Rose Lavelle praises NWSL championship setup in San Jose Cal s Metayer helps lead Washington Spirit into NWSL championship match at PayPal Park NWSL commissioner on Saturday s championship event in San Jose Bay FC s success and bright future We ve made a message Brandi Chastain on Bay FC s Year aspirations hosting NWSL championship Lifestyle was definitely something we brought into the recruitment process Cossington declared reciting the popular quote Practices eats strategy for breakfast Coates outlined a football-first performance-driven civilization where we put the players in the middle On the field Bay FC is one of the sparse remaining teams yet to release its end-of-season roster When it comes time to address personnel Cossington declared we think about this in a two- three-year plan Coates commented she hopes to play possession-based football and to play forward regularly as a means to address a Bay FC attack that ranked last in the NWSL But Cossington noted Error number one would by trying to play a system where you don t have the players that are capable of delivering that With its new training facility under construction across the water on Treasure Island Bay FC believes it has big things in store The franchise s new leaders were appealed when they realistically considered their championship aspirations could come to fruition That s a great question Cossington reported because we re super impatient