As the Columbus Crew look to return to the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs in 2020, they've added to their technical staff.
The club announced Wednesday that they've hired Clive Brewer to serve as their director of high performance, and he's joined Caleb Porter's staff immediately. Before heading to Columbus, Brewer worked as the assistant director of high performance with the Toronto Blue Jays, a Major League Baseball franchise.
“Clive has nearly two decades of experience working with some of the top sports organizations across the globe and his addition to the Crew SC technical staff will help in our aspirations to build one of the best sports performance programs in the League,” said Crew SC President and General Manager Tim Bezbatchenko in a statement. “Clive’s arrival to the Club is just the beginning of our efforts to reshape our sports science department. We are committed to creating an innovative and results-driven program from top to bottom, from the new training facility we are building at MAPFRE Stadium to the health and medical partnerships we forge in this space and, most importantly, the people we employ in our organization.”
With the Blue Jays, Brewer was responsible for collaborative and integrated player development support system strategies, as well as managing the high performance services of the team. He's also worked with consultant performance specialist CPD Sports, where he notably spent time with Manchester United.
This marks the second straight season of Columbus reconfiguring their front office through ties to The Six, as Bezbatchenko notably joined from Toronto FC ahead of the 2019 season.
This year, Columbus missed the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2016, after they made at least the Eastern Conference Semifinal in ‘17 and ‘18. Following a 1-13-1 stretch this past season, the Crew closed out with a 5-2-6 record.
