CARY, NC (February 3, 2022) - The North Carolina Courage today announced that Emma Thomson has joined the team as a full-time assistant coach. Before her promotion, Thomson worked as an assistant coach during the 2021 season while coaching with the NC Courage Girls Academy since June of 2020.

“I'm thrilled to be named assistant coach of the NC Courage,” Thomson said. “It's an honor to work with such incredible women on a daily basis and I'm excited to be part of the team's new chapter; celebrating past accomplishments while building for future successes. I want to thank Curt and Sean for this opportunity as well as NCFC Youth and the fans for their continued support.”

Thomson boasts a wealth of coaching experience at many different levels. Her coaching career began at St. John’s (NY) followed by a six-year stint as the Assistant Women’s Coach at George Mason University in Virginia. While there, she was active with youth clubs in the area including Braddock Road Youth Club and FC Virginia’s Development Academy prior to joining NCFC Youth. Thomson started at NCFC Youth with the Girls ECNL program before joining the NC Courage Development Academy staff. 

“In the short time she was with NCFC Youth, Emma had an incredible impact on our girls’ program and our players,” said Paul Forster, NCFC Youth Director of Soccer. “Her advancement to the professional ranks is a testament to her coaching abilities, and we are glad we could play a part in her development from youth to pro. We wish her all the best, and we look forward to catching her in action on the NC Courage sidelines this season.”

Originally from Nottinghamshire, England, Thomson grew up playing for Doncaster Belles in the FA Women’s Premier League and represented England in the youth national team pool. Emma moved to the US in 2008 to attend Penn State University, where she earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Kinesiology. A four-year starter and two-year captain for Penn State Women's soccer, Thomson helped the Nittany Lions to four NCAA Tournament appearances, collecting four Big Ten Championships and one Big Ten Tournament Championship and was named the 2011 Defender of the Year. In 2015, Thomson earned her Masters in Sports Management from St. John's (NY) 2015, also serving as a graduate assistant with the Women’s Soccer team.



“We are very excited to add Emma to our full time staff,” said Head Coach Sean Nahas. “She is eager to take on this role and fully embrace the professional game. She established a good relationship with our players in her first year, and being able to add that consistency to our staff was very important. We look forward to having her on board and providing a great environment for our players.”