Bev Priestman, the former head coach of the Canada women’s national soccer team, shared personal insights into her life following the highly publicized drone-spying scandal that occurred during the Paris Olympics. Following the fallout from the incident, which saw allegations of drones being flown over Canadian practice sessions, Priestman refrained from leaving her house in Canada for a month due to safety concerns.
“For me, I didn’t feel safe, that’s being brutally honest,” Priestman expressed in a recent interview. The situation presented significant challenges for her family, as she recounted the impact of the intense media scrutiny, mentioning that “people were knocking on your door.” The emotional toll led her to prioritize her family’s well-being, ultimately deciding that they needed to leave Canada to focus on their personal life.
Despite the tumultuous year, Priestman has returned to football, taking charge of the Wellington Phoenix FC women’s team in New Zealand. She expressed her eagerness to get back to work, saying, “I can’t wait to get to work. Today’s a good day.” While she refrained from discussing the specifics of the scandal in Paris, she noted that her 12-month hiatus allowed her to reflect, learn, and grow.
Addressing the question of regrets regarding the scandal, Priestman acknowledged that “everybody involved will certainly have regrets, for sure.” However, her optimistic nature remained intact as she mentioned, “There have been days in the last 12 months where that optimism has been very difficult.” Nonetheless, she was excited about her return to coaching, emphasizing the importance of earning the trust of others in the soccer community.
Priestman remarked on the lessons learned from the incidents surrounding the scandal, citing that certain values she holds were clouded by the circumstances at that moment. In the aftermath of the International Olympic Committee’s investigation, Priestman, along with assistant coach Jasmine Mander and analyst Joey Lombardi, faced one-year suspensions imposed by FIFA. This suspension was a direct result of a complaint from New Zealand’s Olympic Committee regarding the drone incidents.
During the initial months of her ban, Priestman focused on simply getting through each day, while she began to look forward to future opportunities around Christmas. She now relishes the daily challenges of club coaching after her involvement in international soccer. The two-year appointment comes as her suspension draws to a close, allowing her to return to the sport she loves.
At 39 years old, Priestman’s connection to Wellington extends beyond soccer; her wife, Emma Humphries, is a former New Zealand international and is currently the academy director for the club. Furthermore, Priestman has historical ties to the club, having previously led coach development in Wellington approximately 16 years ago. Last season, the Wellington Phoenix women’s team finished ninth in the A-League’s 12-team competition with a record of 7 wins, 13 losses, and 3 draws.
Before her tenure with Canada, Priestman spent five years in various roles within Canada Soccer, including coaching positions at multiple youth levels. She later returned to England in June 2018, where she took charge of the under-18 women’s side and served as assistant coach to the senior women’s team. In November 2020, she succeeded Kenneth Heiner-Moller as the head coach of Canada’s women’s national team, earning nominations for FIFA Women’s Best Coach in 2021 and 2022.
Priestman’s extensive background in women’s football includes serving as a director for Canada Soccer's developmental EXCEL program and coaching multiple youth national teams. Additionally, she contributed to New Zealand Football as head of football development for over four years before joining Canada Soccer.
