Columbus Crew SC announced Friday that the team has extended the contract of Sporting Director and Head Coach Gregg Berhalter. By picking up an option on the fourth year of his deal, Berhalter, 41, is now under contract with the club through the 2017 Major League Soccer season. Per club and MLS policy, additional terms of the deal were not disclosed.
The announcement comes ahead of the club’s opening match at MAPFRE Stadium on Saturday against Toronto FC (7:30 pm ET, MLS LIVE). Berhalter was hired on November 6, 2013 and became the club’s first sporting director, combining this role with his head coaching duties for the first time in Crew SC history. In his lone season to date, Berhalter helped guide Crew SC to an 11-point improvement in the standings and qualified for the MLS Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2011.
“Gregg is the ideal sporting director and head coach for Crew SC as we build a winning culture and solid foundation both on and off the pitch,” said Crew SC Investor-Operator and Chairman Anthony Precourt in a statement. “There are no quick fixes in this business and Gregg has proven to be thoughtful and thorough in his intelligent approach to the game. With Gregg in charge, we feel that we are in position to compete and win on a year-in, year-out basis.”
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Berhalter’s first campaign with the Black & Gold in 2014 was a year that saw Columbus improve from a 12-17-5 record (41 points) in 2013 to a 14-10-10 mark (52 points) in 2014. The club finished the season on a 10-3-2 streak, earning the third seed in the Eastern Conference and a bye from the Knockout Round of the postseason.
The Crew SC boss was named a finalist for the MLS Coach of the Year award as a credit to his 2014 efforts. Simultaneously, Berhalter became the first head coach in team history to lead the club to the postseason in his first year without any prior experience with the team.
“I want to thank Mr. Precourt for his support over my first two seasons with the club and I look forward to continue executing the vision for Crew SC,” said Berhalter in a statement. “I am also excited to continue working with this group of players. It has been a pleasure to watch their development from an individual and team perspective as they represent the club and this city. The future is bright for Columbus and I am proud to be a part of it.”
