Bev Priestman is leaving Canada — and she’s getting about as far away from the country as she can.
Priestman, who was officially fired on November 12 after initially having a one-year suspension due to her involvement in the high-profile drone spying scandal connected to the women’s national soccer team, appears set to move across the world with her wife and young son.
Emma Humphries, Priestman’s wife, who had previously served as the Canadian women’s under-17 coach, has taken on a new job as academy director with the New Zealand-based Wellington Phoenix team, which has both men’s and women’s youth sides. While Priestman is from England, Humphries hails from their new home.
Humphries “is moving back home to Wellington with her family,” as per the release announcing her hire.
Humphries had also previously worked with the Vancouver Whitecaps as director of women’s football development and other roles.
“I had such a happy childhood in New Zealand and I never thought everything would align that I would get to come back and do this and Jack would get to grow up in New Zealand, like I did,” Humphries said in the press release announcing the news. “It’s such an amazing opportunity to be able to see him grow up here.”
Priestman might eventually find work with the Phoenix, elsewhere in New Zealand, or somewhere else on the globe, but she’s currently facing a one-year suspension from FIFA for her role in the scandal. The 38-year-old was hired in the role as Canada’s head coach in 2020, with the squad winning the gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.
Interestingly, Humphries and Priestman might find themselves running into former Canadian men’s and women’s manager John Herdman, who recently resigned from his post at Toronto FC after also being connected to the scandal.
Prior to his time in Canada, Herdman coached the New Zealand women’s national team, and his son Jay is a member of the country’s youth program, having represented the U23 side at the Paris Olympics this past year.
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