Emily Husband is still left wondering what could have happened if she had given in to self-doubt when she was given the opportunity to take her coaching profession to new heights.
Husband was an unknown senior head coach four years ago, but things were about to change because Sydney University’s Director of Football John Curran showed faith in him.
Curran gave her the position that would change her life. Her husband had coached all age groups of the NSW NPLW club, with the exception of the first team, which was coached by Alex Epakis before he took the helm at Perth Glory.
That was because, as a relatively young coach, he saw something in me that I hadn’t completely recognised in myself. I truly believe that having someone who has your back is crucial, even if I have worked in the industry for a very long time and have a long way to go.
Today, Husband is in charge of the Central Coast Mariners, a team she spent seven months building from the ground up, as they embark on their first Liberty A-League season since 2009.
As the team surpasses expectations in its comeback season, Husband and the Mariners are emerging as formidable contenders for the finals series.
It should come as no surprise to see that Husband flourished at the head of Sydney University and is expected to do so at the Mariners after looking at her coaching resume.
The spouse was raised in Yorkshire, England. Although she played senior football at Huddersfield Town and junior football at her hometown team, Leeds United, she discovered her passion as a grassroots coach when she was in her teens.
She worked as a coach at Princeton University in the United States, Leeds, Chelsea, and for one season as Vicki Linton’s assistant in an all-female Canberra United coaching staff in the Liberty A-League.
After that, the husband advanced up Sydney University’s coaching levels and was offered the position of head coach for the senior women’s team by Curran in 2020.
She won NSW NPL 1 Coach of the Year two years later. A year later, she had left the NPL team to take a head coaching position in the Liberty A-League, following in the footsteps of Sydney University’s previous two senior coaches, Epakis and Heather Garriock.
As of right now, Husband is one of just two female Liberty A-League club executives. Kat Smith of Western United, the league leaders, is the other.
Husband never played for a female coach in her entire football career. Her school’s physical education teachers were the closest thing she had ever found in terms of a female role model.
The Mariners general manager is proud that today’s female players who want to be professional coaches may look to the Liberty A-League and draw inspiration from her experience.
Nowadays, almost every club will have a female coach at some point, but 90% of the time, these coaches work with U14s, U15s, or U16s. Once you get into the senior division, however, that’s when men start to dominate the sport, according to Husband.
“In my opinion, it must begin in the National Premier Leagues. To offer female coaches the opportunity, all it takes is for people to have faith in them and defy the norm.
I have coached in the NSW NPLW for a number of years, but in my six years there, I can only think of three female coaches who managed a women’s senior team: Heather Garriock, Ash Wilson, and me. That’s where everything begins for me. All three of the coaches made it to the A-League.
“We definitely need to investigate why more youth system coaches haven’t been considered for senior football coaching positions. In the end, you will choose the future generation of coaches from the NPL around the nation.
“I’m always more than happy to sit down and have a coffee and talk football,” is how I would always want to hope that any female coaches would come out to me. It’s my favourite topic to discuss! By becoming noticeable, you want other instructors to believe that “if this is what I aspire to do, then this is something I can achieve.”
However, you also need someone to always stand up for you and defend you. I was fortunate to have John Curran at Sydney University, who provided possibilities for me even though I didn’t always feel confidence in myself. Everyone needs a mentor like that to help them when they need it.
Husband was appointed head coach of Central Coast in March 2023, but she was unable to devote all of her attention to the Liberty A-League team until September, when the 2023 NPLW season came to a close. The 2023–24 Liberty A-League season started one month after her tenure as Sydney University’s head coach came to an end.
Her appointment as the Mariners’ coach came almost a year ago, and Husband is still in shock at how everything came together in time for the team’s reintroduction to the Liberty A-League.
“We only had one player signed at the time, Annalise Rasmussen,” Husband remembers.
Your first thoughts are probably, “What kind of playing style do we want to have, and what kind of culture do I want to build?”
“Those were some amazing months. Not only were players recruited, but also staff, policies, procedures, and processes were recruited. Your thoughts wander to anything, yet concurrently, I was attempting to conclude the Sydney University season as strongly as possible.
“The majority of coaches start off with the basics set, so it just depends on what they can add to that to provide a team a competitive football experience.
One of the largest adjustments was that I was now in charge of every choice, which has never been one of my strong points. I had to make an effort to get used to the fact that I had to make every decision based only on my desires.
“However, you know what? While the amount of hours I worked was challenging, the project was also one of the most exciting ones I’ve ever been assigned. I can leave feeling proud no matter what transpires or how things turn out because I know deep down that I gave it everything.
“I’m going to keep giving whatever I’m given everything I’ve got. It was thrilling, undoubtedly difficult, and it forced me to step outside of my comfort zone. Although it was a significant step, I have thoroughly enjoyed the trip thus far.
Her appointment as Mariners head coach for the 2023–24 season was confirmed, and in the months that followed, the team’s men’s team intensified their pursuit of the Isuzu UTE A–League Championship.
During that trip, Husband spent a good amount of time in Gosford getting to know her new surroundings and quickly realising that the women’s programme would fit well in at a club that prioritises community.
Husband says, “The fervent supporters just motivate you even more to want to perform well for them and the club.”
Since the day I first came through the door, they have only been encouraging and kind.
We are really grateful for the support we receive now, which goes above and beyond what we had anticipated. This speaks highly of the club’s handling of the women’s team’s return and our tight-knit community.
In the lead-up to Round 19 and their Sunday afternoon match at Industree Group Stadium against Adelaide United, Husband’s Mariners are ranked sixth in the Liberty A-League standings.
