Columbus Crew SC are keeping Gregg Berhalter in charge for the foreseeable future.
The 2015 MLS Cup finalists announced Wednesday that their head coach and sporting director's sterling work has been rewarded with a contract extension, inking a multi-year extension beyond his current agreement.
Berhalter, who took the helm in November 2013, already had the option year of his original deal picked up, extending him through the 2017 campaign; per club and league policy, terms of the new extension were not disclosed.
“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,” said Crew SC investor-operator and chairman Anthony Precourt, in a press release. “Our rebuilding efforts at Crew SC have been focused on building a sustainable culture and a highly professional way of conducting our business on and off the field.
“We are thrilled to have Gregg and the world-class coaching and administrative staff he has assembled lead us forward into 2016 and beyond. Our results over Gregg's first two seasons speak for themselves. Onward and upward.”
Last year, Berhalter led the club to its second-ever Eastern Conference Championship and a berth in MLS Cup after a 53-point regular season (15-11-8), the second-highest single-season point total in Black & Gold history. Crew SC registered 52 points (14-10-10) in his first year at the helm, an 11-point improvement over 2013 and the team's first postseason berth since 2011.
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Under Berhalter, Crew SC have adopted an expansive, possession-based philosophy and also enacted an extensive reorganization of soccer operations, building a new technical staff and a revamped youth academy based on the first team's style of play.
Statistically, Berhalter ranks as the most successful head coach in club history, with a .515 career points-earned percentage.
