Bev Priestman

Bev Priestman was appointed the Wellington Phoenix women’s coach at the end of July 2025 on a two-year contract.

Priestman is arguably the best credentialed coach in A-League history.

She guided Canada to Olympic gold in Tokyo and was an assistant coach when they claimed the bronze medal at the Rio Games in 2016.

Priestman was also England’s assistant coach at the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup in France, where the Lionesses were semi-finalists.

In total she has coached at four FIFA Women’s World Cups, three Olympic Games and three FIFA youth world cups.

Priestman has twice been shortlisted for the Best FIFA women’s coach award and holds the world’s most prestigious coaching qualification, the UEFA pro licence.

She grew up in Consett in County Durham, England but moved to New Zealand in her early 20s to pursue a career in football.

Priestman had a coach development role in Wellington before joining New Zealand Football in 2009 and rapidly rose through the ranks from head of women’s football to head of football.

She played a key role in the Whole of Football Plan while also serving as an assistant to then Football Ferns coach John Herdman.

Priestman left New Zealand in 2013 to join Herdman at Canada Soccer. She went on to coach Canada’s U-17 and U-20 women’s teams and assist the full national team.

She was appointed the assistant coach of the England women’s team in 2018 and was also head coach of the England U-18 women.

In late 2020 Priestman was appointed head coach of the Canada women’s team and less than 12 months later guided Canada to Olympic glory in the rescheduled Tokyo Games. At just 35-years-old she was the youngest football coach at the Olympics.

Priestman remained in charge at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, where the Canadians made a shock group stage exit.

Canada lost on penalties in the quarter-finals of the Paris Olympics the following year, but their campaign was overshadowed by the team’s involvement in using drones to spy on the Football Ferns on the eve of the tournament.

Priestman received a one-year ban from any football-related activity for her role in the scandal.