It has been an exciting start to 2019 for Columbus Crew. And the new era is now ignited by the hires of Caleb Porter and Tim Bezbatchenko as the new head coach and club president.
Friday morning, a new era began for the Columbus Crew. Caleb Porter will be the new head coach; Tim Bezbatchenko, the new president.
The announcement is a signifier of the times changing in Columbus.
There have been rumors looming surrounding Porter and Bezbatchenko for the past several weeks as pieces continued to fall into place with the sale of the club to the Haslam & Edwards ownership group.
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The two hires show a statement of intent from ownership as the club starts a new era post-PSV. Both hires bring vast experience, proven success and a great reputation among Major League Soccer circles. There will be plenty of work to be done, both on and off the pitch, but Porter and Bezbatchenko have shown the ability to build Cup-winning teams within MLS. On the pitch, Porter inherits a solid squad fresh off of an Eastern Conference semi-final appearance. The club has retained a majority of their starting line-up from last season and can now look to build upon it this offseason.
Porter will have to hit the ground running with the transfer window already open and the MLS SuperDraft only days away. Thankfully for Crew supporters, Porter is a coach that is up to the task. Beginning his head coaching career at the University of Akron, where he went 119-18-17 and winning the national championship in 2010, Porter has built an impressive coaching resume that spans almost a decade. While at Akron, Porter coached Crew captain Wil Trapp for two seasons. After a year with USMNT U23’s, Porter moved to the Portland Timbers where he led the team to a 23-point improvement in his first season and won MLS Coach of the Year. Porter held a 39-25-36 professional record with an MLS Cup in 2015.
Off the pitch, the club is in a time of transition with plans to build a new stadium in the Arena District to beginning play in 2021 and a training facility and community sports park in the current site of Mapfre Stadium. New ownership, Bezbatchenko and his new front office will all have their work cut out for them as they look to build trust and momentum to take the club forward into the future.
A Westerville native, Tim Bezbatchenko comes to the club from Toronto FC where he had been since 2013. During his time in Toronto, the club experienced the best era in their history. Bezbatchenko was crucial in bringing in the likes of Jozy Altidore, Michael Bradley and Sebastian Giovinco. The club became the first MLS club to win their domestic treble, winning the MLS Cup, the Supporters’ Shield and the Canadian Championship all in 2017. In addition to his domestic success, Toronto FC reached the CONCACAF Champions League final in 2018.
Bezbatchenko and Porter bring a winning pedigree to Columbus. Their hires are about as good as it can get on paper for the new ownership. It will now be up to them to determine where the club heads as it moves into the future both at Mapfre Stadium and eventually in a brand new stadium.
What are your thoughts on the hires? Are you excited about the Porter & Bezbatchenko era? Let us know in the comments below.