Columbus Crew part ways with head coach Henrik Rydström | OneFootball

By Jaime Uribarri

The Columbus Crew have relieved Henrik Rydström of his duties as head coach, the club announced Sunday.

Rydström departs with a 5W-7L-4D record in 16 games across all competitions since being appointed manager ahead of the 2026 season. 

Assistant Laurent Courtois has been appointed interim head coach. 

“We unfortunately have not capitalized on opportunities or produced the results that our club and supporters deserve," said Crew general manager Issa Tall. "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.”

Rydström's tenure

Rydström joined Columbus in December 2025 as the replacement for Wilfried Nancy, who guided the Crew to MLS Cup 2023 presented by Audi and Leagues Cup 2024 titles before departing for Celtic in the Scottish Premier League. 

A back-to-back league champion (2023 & 2024) with Malmö FF in his native Sweden, Rydström was unable to replicate that success with the Crew. 

Following Saturday's 1-1 draw at the Philadelphia Union, Columbus sit in 13th place in the Eastern Conference with 13 points (3W-7L-4D record).

They also remain in contention in the 2026 US Open Cup, reaching the tournament quarterfinals.

Courtois takes over

Courtois joined the Crew's coaching staff in January, returning to the club after leading affiliate side Columbus Crew 2 to the MLS NEXT Pro title in 2022. 

This will be his second head coaching job in MLS after a 14-month stint in charge of CF Montréal from January 2024 to March 2024. Courtois coached CFMTL to the 2024 Audi MLS Cup Playoffs. 

Courtois will debut as the Crew's interim manager on Wednesday, when hosting New York City FC in the US Open Cup quarterfinals (7:30 pm ET | Paramount+, CBS Sports Golazo Network).