Columbus Crew Parts Ways with Head Coach Henrik Rydstrom After Disappointing Start

The Columbus Crew has dismissed head coach Henrik Rydstrom after only five months at the helm. The decision came following a challenging start to the season, with the team managing just three wins in their first 14 games.

Alongside Rydstrom, the Crew also let go of assistant coach Theodor Olsson and analyst Mak Pakhei on Sunday. The Crew currently holds a record of 3 wins, 7 losses, and 4 draws, placing them 13th in the Eastern Conference standings.

Rydstrom, 50, was appointed head coach on December 31, replacing Wilfried Nancy, who led the Crew to the MLS Cup and Leagues Cup titles in 2023. Before joining Columbus, Rydstrom had coaching stints at Malmo, Kalmar FF, and IK Sirius in Sweden.

“We unfortunately have not capitalized on opportunities or produced the results that our club and supporters deserve,” Crew general manager Issa Tall stated in a news release. “We are confident that we have the talent on our roster to consistently compete for championships, and we believe this change best positions us to accomplish that goal with the number of matches we have left this season.”

“We thank Henrik for his commitment to the Crew, and we expect a successful transition based on Laurent’s familiarity with our club, players, and league,” Tall added.

Taking over as interim coach is Laurent Courtois, 47, who previously coached CF Montreal from 2024 to 2025, leading the team to an MLS Cup playoff spot in 2024. He also guided Columbus Crew 2 to the MLS Next Pro title in 2022.

Courtois will make his debut as interim manager when the Crew host New York City FC in a U.S. Open Cup quarterfinal on Wednesday night.