We have a responsibility to fly the flag for this country
After a year of enforced absence following a drone-spying scandal at the Paris Olympics, coach Bev Priestman has accepted a position leading Wellington Phoenix FC's women's team in New Zealand — a country she knows well, and where her wife already works within the same club. The appointment arrives precisely as her FIFA suspension expires, threading together personal belonging and professional rehabilitation into a single moment. It is a story as old as sport itself: the question of whether a career, once fractured by scandal, can be made whole again through the simple act of returning to work.
- A drone-spying operation during Olympic preparations cost Priestman her job as Canada's head coach and triggered a one-year FIFA ban that effectively erased her from the professional game.
- The scandal rippled outward — three members of Canada's coaching staff were suspended, all three eventually departed the national program, and the country's women's football reputation absorbed a significant blow.
- Wellington Phoenix, a club that won only seven of its twenty-three matches last season, is betting on a world-class but controversial hire to reverse its fortunes in the A-League.
- Club chairman Rob Morrison has publicly declared confidence in Priestman's character and ability, framing the appointment not as a risk but as a statement of intent.
- Priestman arrives with deep roots in New Zealand — a prior stint in coach development, a wife embedded in the club's structure, and her own declared sense of responsibility to the country's only professional women's team.
Bev Priestman is returning to professional coaching. After being forced out of her role as Canada's women's soccer coach following a drone-spying scandal at the Paris Olympics, she has signed a two-year deal to lead Wellington Phoenix FC's women's team in New Zealand — the appointment timed to begin exactly as her FIFA suspension runs out.
The scandal that ended her tenure in Canada centred on allegations that drones had been flown over New Zealand's pre-Olympic training sessions. FIFA investigated and handed one-year bans to Priestman and two colleagues; all three have since left Canada Soccer. That chapter is now formally closed.
Wellington Phoenix finished ninth in the 12-team A-League last season, winning just seven matches. Club chairman Rob Morrison was direct about his confidence in the hire, calling Priestman a world-class coach and expressing comfort with the circumstances of her absence. Executive chairman Stephen Conroy echoed that sentiment, pointing to her experience as a national team coach and Olympic champion.
The appointment carries a personal dimension as well. Priestman's wife, Emma Humphries, is a former New Zealand international and the club's current academy director. Priestman herself spent four and a half years in New Zealand earlier in her career, leading football development for the national federation. She is not arriving as a stranger.
In her own statement, Priestman spoke of responsibility — to the club, to its fans, and to women's football in a country where Wellington Phoenix stands as the sole professional women's side. Whether she can deliver on that promise will unfold over the seasons ahead.
Bev Priestman is back. After a year away from the game—forced out of her job as Canada's women's soccer coach in the fallout from a drone-spying scandal at the Paris Olympics—she has signed on to lead Wellington Phoenix FC's women's team in New Zealand. The appointment is a two-year deal that begins precisely as her FIFA suspension expires, marking her formal return to professional coaching.
The drone incident that upended Priestman's career unfolded in the lead-up to the Paris Games. New Zealand's Olympic Committee filed a complaint alleging that drones had been flown over two of Canada's pre-tournament training sessions. FIFA investigated and handed down one-year bans to three members of Canada's coaching staff: Priestman, assistant coach Jasmine Mander, and analyst Joey Lombardi. All three have since left Canada Soccer. The suspension has now run its course, and Priestman is ready to work again.
Wellington Phoenix finished ninth in Australia's 12-team A-League last season with a record of 7 wins, 13 losses, and 3 draws—a struggling squad in need of direction. Rob Morrison, the club's chairman, framed the hiring as a statement of confidence. "We all know she's had a period of time away from the game, but we understand the circumstances and we're really comfortable with this appointment," he said. "Bev is a world-class coach and a top person, and I have no doubt she will bring her winning mentality to the Wellington Phoenix."
Priestman's connection to Wellington runs deeper than a simple job opening. Her wife, Emma Humphries, is a former New Zealand international and currently serves as the club's academy director. Beyond that personal tie, Priestman herself worked in New Zealand 16 years ago, heading up coach development there. She knows the country, the football culture, and now the organization itself. In a statement, she expressed genuine enthusiasm about the role. "It's a fantastic club with big ambitions, world-class facilities and a phenomenal fan base," she said. "Coming back to New Zealand and seeing the Phoenix week in week out as the only professional women's team has been amazing. We have a responsibility now to fly the flag for this country and try to do something special."
Priestman's coaching résumé is substantial. She took over as Canada's head coach in November 2020 and was nominated for FIFA Women's Best Coach in both 2021 and 2022. Before that, she spent time in England as coach of the under-18 women's side and as an assistant with the senior team. Her first stint with Canada Soccer, which began in 2013, saw her run the developmental EXCEL program and coach multiple age groups before she left to join Canada's senior setup. She also spent 4½ years with New Zealand Football as head of football development before moving to Canada in 2013.
Stephen Conroy, executive chairman of the Australian Professional Leagues, welcomed the hire. "Bev is a world-renowned national team head coach and Olympic champion, and her experience and expertise will be a huge boost for the up-and-coming squad at the Phoenix," he said. The appointment signals not just a second chance for Priestman, but a significant investment by Wellington in turning around a team that struggled last season. Whether she can deliver the "something special" she promised will become clear in the months ahead.
Notable Quotes
We all know she's had a period of time away from the game, but we understand the circumstances and we're really comfortable with this appointment.— Rob Morrison, Wellington Phoenix chairman
It's a fantastic club with big ambitions, world-class facilities and a phenomenal fan base. We have a responsibility now to fly the flag for this country and try to do something special.— Bev Priestman, on joining Wellington Phoenix
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
How does a coach come back from something like this? A year away is a long time in sports.
It is. But the timing here is deliberate—the ban expires, and immediately there's a job waiting. That's not accident. Wellington knew exactly when she'd be available.
And the wife being at the club—does that feel like nepotism, or is it actually grounding?
It's grounding. Emma Humphries isn't some figurehead. She's the academy director. They have a real relationship to the place, not just a transaction.
Priestman was nominated for FIFA Women's Best Coach twice. That's elite company. Does that make the fall harder?
Probably. You go from being recognized as one of the best in the world to being suspended, to being out. But it also means clubs know what she's capable of when things are working.
Wellington finished ninth out of twelve last season. That's not a rescue mission—that's a rebuild.
Exactly. She's not walking into a powerhouse. She's walking into a team that needs direction. That's actually harder in some ways than inheriting success.
What does this say about how the sport is handling the drone scandal now?
That it's moving on. The ban served its purpose. Now the question is whether Priestman can prove she's learned something and deliver results.