The NWSL has opened an investigation into the Bay FC coaching staff following complaints of a toxic work environment, the league announced Friday, one week before the 2025 season kicks off.
‘Based on information shared with the league, we are initiating a formal review of the communications between technical staff and the players at Bay FC and will take the appropriate steps necessary based on the findings of that review,’ NWSL said in a statement to USA TODAY Sports. ‘Ensuring a safe and supportive environment is a top priority, and we remain committed to upholding the highest standards of professionalism and accountability across the league.”
The league’s investigation came after The San Francisco Chronicle published a report, where at least four former players and employees described the culture under first-year head coach Albertin Montoya as ‘toxic.’ In a statement to USA TODAY Sports on Friday, Bay FC said it takes all complaints ‘very seriously’ and said the soccer club is ‘working closely with the league to review.’
Montoya faces allegations of ‘bullying,’ retaliation
Montoya was hired as the first head coach of Bay FC, the NWSL’s 14th franchise, which kicked off its inaugural season in March 2024. The soccer club, based in San Jose, Calif., qualified for the playoffs in its first season and was eliminated in the first round by the Washington Spirit.
Despite a successful opening season on the field, there were concerns surrounding the Bay FC’s coaching staff after it was ranked 13th out of 14 teams in a mid-season survey. The Chronicle interviewed former players and employees during its investigation and found that Montoya fostered a ‘toxic’ environment. Two people told the outlet Montoya would publicly “target and bully” players that questioned his decisions. Another former player told the Chronicle that Montoya would ‘punish’ people who spoke up about their mental health.
‘Players would come out of the starting lineup and (Montoya) refused to tell them why,” one former employee told the outlet. “Of course their mental health would spiral but he wouldn’t address anything and punished anyone who asked questions.”
Montoya’s alleged misconduct led to many departures. Despite Bay FC saying ‘roster turnover from year one to year two with NWSL expansion sides is very common,’ four former employees and two former players told the outlet they won’t return to Bay FC because of Montoya specifically.
Bay FC says it takes allegations ‘very seriously’
Two formal complaints where filed against Montoya last season, according to the outlet. In the first complaint, a player alleged that Montoya ‘targeted’ personal comments at her that led to ‘anxiety attacks.’ Bay FC confirmed to USA TODAY Sports that an investigation was opened into the complaint, but an independent investigation ‘did not find any evidence of misconduct.’ In the second complaint reviewed by the Chronicle, a player anonymously accused Montoya of ‘bullying’ through the league’s tip line after the season concluded. (The outlet didn’t detail allegations to avoid identifying the anonymous player.)
Bay FC said the club ‘implemented new procedures to improve our communications across the team’ following the mid-season survey, including executive coaching: ‘It is also important to understand that the end of season player survey showed marked improvement in Bay FC’s ranking amongst the NWSL Clubs, improving from 11 out of 14 midseason (overall) to 6 out of 14 at the end of the year.’
Two former players, however, countered Bay FC’s claim, telling the Chronicle reported that ‘the results of the player survey were shared with the team but never brought them up again.’
The league’s investigation into Bay FC comes one month after the NWSL reached a historic $5 million settlement in a years-long investigation of player abuse. The settlement stems back to a wave of bombshell reports during the 2021 NWSL season, including extensive allegations of abuse, sexual coercion, racism, harassment and other forms of misconduct.
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