Columbus Crew Extend Gregg Berhalter’s Contract
By Grey Beaudin
The Columbus Crew continue to maintain core, re-sign Gregg Berhalter until 2017 season.
The Columbus Crew made another move that maintains their core for the time being. Head Coach and Sporting Director, Gregg Berhalter was resigned to multi-year contract extension. Extending Berhalter’s contract was integral in maintaining the core of the Crew.
Berhalter joined the Crew in November of 2013, after Columbus missed out on the postseason. After taking over, Berhalter quickly turned around the fortunes of the team. The Crew finished the 2014 season with 52 points, which qualified them for the 3rd seed in the Eastern Conference. In Berhalter’s first season, the Crew gained eleven more points than the previous campaign and qualified for the post-season.
In 2015, Berhalter and the Crew finished the season as the 2nd seed in the Eastern Conference. They finished the season with 53 points and 15 victories’. In the post-season the Crew made in to the MLS Cup final, where they fell to the Portland Timbers.
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Berhalter has had an immediate impact in Columbus. He has taken the Crew to the post-season twice and made an appearance in the Cup final. Columbus has become one of the most scoring prolific teams in the MLS under Berhalter.
The contract extends Berhalter through the 2017 season. According to the MLS, when asked about Berhalter, Crew SC investor-operator and chairman, Anthony Precourt said, “Extending Gregg’s contract well into the future was a critical priority for us, and that’s why we proactively approached Gregg prior to the end of the 2015 regular season.” Berhalter’s role with the Crew is vital, which is why bringing him back is essential to maintaining the core.
Maintenance and stability have been the themes of the Crew off-season so far. They have been able to keep the main pieces of their core together, which already makes them contenders for another title run.