Bev Priestman named Head Coach of Canada Soccer’s Women’s National Team

Canada Soccer have announced that Bev Priestman has been appointed Head Coach of the Women’s National Team through the next quadrennial. Priestman takes charge of Canada Soccer’s Women’s National Team starting 1 November as Canada continues their preparations for the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020.

“We are extremely pleased to welcome Bev Priestman back to Canada Soccer as our Women’s National Team Head Coach,” said Steven Reed, Canada Soccer President.  “Bev’s contributions leading the Women’s National EXCEL Program and supporting the Women’s National Team as an Assistant Coach during her five-years with Canada Soccer set a solid foundation for success across all levels of the Women’s National Team Program and we are excited to have her bring her recent experience, vision and leadership to her new role.”

“It is an honour and privilege to return to Canada to lead such a talented group of players and a team with a fantastic history,” said Bev Priestman, Canada Soccer’s Women’s National Team Head Coach. “With a great blend of experience and youth, I’m excited as to what we can achieve together over the next quadrennial. I would like to thank Canada Soccer for this fantastic opportunity. Our immediate focus is the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 next year and then subsequently building towards the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia/New Zealand 2023™ where ultimately Canada should be on that podium. I look forward to connecting with the great group of staff and players ready to head into the Olympic year of 2021 focused and ready to give it our all.”

Priestman most recently served as England’s Women’s U-18 National Team Head Coach and was scheduled to lead England at the postponed FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup India 2021™. She previously served as England’s Women’s National Team Assistant Coach. Just last year, she helped England finish fourth at the FIFA Women’s World Cup France 2019™, also helping Great Britain qualify for the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. She has completed her UEFA A Diploma (Coaching Award) and is currently a UEFA PRO Licence Candidate.

Before joining England in June 2018, Priestman spent the previous five years at Canada Soccer serving as National EXCEL Director, U-15 to U-23. In her role, she served as Head Coach at two editions of the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup, one edition of the Concacaf Women’s Under-20 Championship, three editions of the Concacaf Women’s Under-17 Championship, and one edition of the Concacaf Under-15 Championship.

Priestman also served as an Assistant Coach with Canada Soccer’s Women’s National Team, notably serving as a Technical Assistant at the FIFA Women’s World Cup Canada 2015™ (sixth place), the 2016 Concacaf Women’s Olympic Qualifying Championship (second place), and the Rio 2016 Women’s Olympic Football Tournament where Canada captured a second consecutive bronze medal.

Canada are in fact one of just five nations in the world that have qualified for each of the past four Women’s Olympic Football Tournaments. Canada is also the only nation in the world to reach the podium at both London 2012 and Rio 2016 in women’s football.

Before Canada Soccer, Priestman worked for New Zealand Football for four and a half years, serving as Head of Football Development before her departure in June 2013. In England, she earned a Bachelor’s Degree, Science and Football, from Liverpool John Moores University.

Priestman takes over the role of Canada Soccer’s Women’s National Team Head Coach from Kenneth Heiner-Møller, who left the role at the end of the summer. From 2018 to 2020, Heiner-Møller posted an international “A” record of 20 wins, 5 draws and 10 losses. During his tenure as Head Coach, he qualified Canada for both the FIFA Women’s World Cup France 2019™ and Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games with second-place finishes at the 2018 Concacaf Women’s Championship and 2020 Concacaf Women’s Olympic Qualifying Championship respectively.

OLYMPIC MEDAL WINNERS & CONCACAF CHAMPIONS
Canada are two-time Olympic bronze medal winners (2012 and 2016) and two-time Concacaf champions (1998 and 2010). In all, Canada have participated in seven consecutive editions of the FIFA Women’s World Cup™ (1995 to 2019) and three consecutive editions of the Women’s Olympic Football Tournament (2008 to 2016). At Rio 2016, Canada Soccer’s Women’s National Team were the first Canadian Olympic team to win back-to-back medals at a summer Olympic Games in more than a century.

Canada Soccer’s Women’s National Youth Teams, meanwhile, have won four Concacaf youth titles: the 2004 and 2008 Concacaf Women’s Under-20 Championship, the 2010 Concacaf Women’s Under-17 Championship, and the 2014 Concacaf Girls’ Under-15 Championship. Canada have qualified for seven editions of the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup (including a silver medal at Canada 2002) and all six editions of the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup (including a fourth-place finish at Uruguay 2018).