COLUMBUS, Ohio — Columbus Crew announced Monday the club has parted ways with head coach Caleb Porter after four seasons.
The news comes one day after the club lost the season finale against Orlando City SC and failed to make the MLS Playoffs for a second-straight season.
In a press release, the team said a search for the next head coach has officially begun.
“This is not a decision we took lightly, and I need to first and foremost thank Caleb for his tireless efforts for the Crew during his four seasons with the Club. He joined the club ahead of 2019 and provided steady leadership at a critical moment of historic transition for the Crew. Caleb will forever be a part of Black & Gold history as the second star above our crest from 2020 is a testament to his contributions and what we were able to bring home during a special year,” said Crew President and General Manager Tim Bezbatchenko.
Continued Bezbatchenko: “We assessed the 2022 season as a whole and it’s clear that we fell short in our collective goals. Namely, our goal is to consistently contend for championships. This starts with making the playoffs and then securing a home match as a top-four team in the conference. We all share in the responsibility of the results and unmet objectives this season, including myself. As part of our evaluation, we believe that we have a talented core of our roster in place and felt we needed to make a change this offseason as we position ourselves for success in 2023 and beyond.”
Porter became the eighth head coach of the Crew on Jan. 4, 2019. He replaced Gregg Berhalter, who left to become the head coach of the United States men's national soccer team.
He came to Columbus after spending five years with the Portland Timbers where he won the MLS Cup in 2015.
In his four seasons in Columbus, Porter recorded a 45-43-37 regular-season record and led the Crew to its second MLS Cup in 2020 and the Campeones Cup in 2021.
“We would like to thank Caleb for his commitment and his leadership of our team. He holds a special place in our club’s history,” said Crew Investor-Operators Dee and Jimmy Haslam and Dr. Pete Edwards. “We will forever be grateful for his hard work and guidance in perhaps the most unique circumstances while capturing the 2020 MLS Cup. We wish Caleb and his family only the best moving forward."
Bezbatchenko confirmed that assistant coaches Pablo Moreira, Tim Hanley, Eric Quill and Blair Gavin would not be returning as well.
Statement from Caleb Porter
I want to thank Dee and Jimmy Haslam, Whitney and JW Johnson, Dr. Pete Edwards, Tim Bezbatchenko and the entire Columbus Crew staff for all their support these past four years. We accomplished a lot of wonderful things together, including winning MLS Cup and Campeones Cup, and with a beautiful new stadium and training ground and an amazing fan base, I have no doubt the future is bright for the Crew.
Our players and coaching staff gave everything we had, but unfortunately the past two years we missed the playoffs on Decision Day. It’s a bottom-line business and I accept responsibility for the club falling short of our goals.
The Crew has a passionate fanbase and I sincerely appreciate all they have done to support not only the Club, but myself and my family.
Lastly, I want to thank the players, technical staff and my coaching staff for all they gave. I will miss being in the locker room with these amazing people who do so much every day to push this club forward and I wish everyone the best moving forward.
