Bay FC named Albertin Montoya as the franchise's first head coach Wednesday, ending a five-month search that began quietly in July, three weeks after the league awarded the expansion slot. The hire arrives seven months before the club's first competitive match and positions Bay FC to begin roster construction ahead of the December expansion draft.
Montoya, 44, arrives from Seattle Reign FC, where he spent two seasons as an assistant under Laura Harvey. Before that, he was head coach of the Guatemalan women's national team for four years and logged eight seasons in various USSF youth development roles. His playing career included 12 professional seasons across MLS and lower divisions. The contract is believed to sit in the $300,000-$400,000 range, standard for first-time NWSL head coaches but below the $500,000+ reserved for proven winners like Harvey or Vlatko Andonovski.
The timing matters more than the résumé. Bay FC now has 91 days until the December expansion draft and 127 days until the January international transfer window opens. Most expansion franchises lose two months to coaching searches; Montoya's hire means general manager Matt Potter can begin player outreach immediately. Potter, formerly of OL Reign and FC Kansas City, already knows which six to eight allocated players are available and which agents represent the 22 NWSL free agents who might fit a possession-based system. The club is expected to announce its first signing within three weeks, likely a goalkeeper or center back to anchor preseason messaging.
Montoya's Seattle connection is the subtext. Bay FC majority owner Sheryl Sandberg and minority stakeholder Brandi Chastain both attended Reign matches in 2023 while vetting coaching candidates. Sandberg sat three rows behind the Reign bench during an August match against San Diego, later joining Potter for a ninety-minute dinner at Canlis. Montoya was not present, but Harvey was, and sources say she recommended him for a first head-coaching role. Harvey's endorsement carries weight; three of her former assistants now hold NWSL head jobs, and all three made playoffs within two seasons.
The franchise still needs a technical director and two assistant coaches. Potter is interviewing candidates for the technical director role, focusing on executives with Liga MX Femenil or European second-division experience who can identify underpriced internationals. Bay FC holds three international roster spots and is expected to use at least two on South American players, where the valuation gap between NWSL and domestic leagues remains wide. One assistant coach will likely come from the U.S. youth national team system; the other from MLS Next Pro, following the dual-development model Potter used in Kansas City.
Sponsor conversations are already reflecting the hire. Two corporate partners told the club they wanted to see the coaching staff finalized before committing to $1.5 million+ jersey placements. One has scheduled a December meeting. The club's kit manufacturer, Nike, is expected to reveal designs in mid-January, timed to the opening of season-ticket deposits.
Bay FC kicks off at PayPal Park in February 2024 against an opponent to be determined by the league schedule, released in mid-December. Montoya will attend the NWSL expansion draft in Philadelphia on December 14, where the club selects one unprotected player from each of the league's 12 existing teams.
The takeaway
Bay FC's early coaching hire compresses roster assembly into 91 days before the expansion draft, enabling faster player outreach and earlier sponsor commitments.
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