Who is Laurent Courtois, the new Columbus Crew interim head coach?

· Yahoo Sports

The Crew are making a coaching change, and Laurent Courtois is now in charge.

Visit orlando-books.blog for more information.

After a 3-4-7 start to the season, the Crew fired head coach Henrik Rydstrom on May 17. The Crew have yet to win a game this month and are coming off a 1-1 draw against the Philadelphia Union.

Rydstrom replaced Wilfred Nancy, who left Dec. 3, 2025, to coach Celtic FC.

The Crew hired Rydstrom on Dec. 31, 2025.

Here’s what to know about the new Crew interim head coach.

Who is the Columbus Crew’s new interim head coach?

The Crew's new interim head coach is assistant Laurent Courtois.

Where has Columbus Crew coach Laurent Courtois coached previously?

Courtois previously coached CF Montreal for a season and change. Under his leadership, Montreal finished eighth in the 2024, reaching the MLS playoffs but falling in the wild-card round after dropping a penalty shootout to Atlanta. He was fired by the team after a five-game winless streak at the start of the 2025 season.

Courtois had previously been part of the Crew Academy coaching staff, starting in 2019. He was named the inaugural head coach of Columbus Crew 2 in the first MLS Next Pro season of 2022.

The Crew hired Courtois as an assistant Jan. 13.

Where is Crew interim head coach Laurent Courtois from?

Courtois was born in Lyon, France. He developed as a soccer player with Lyon’s youth club before leaving for Ligue 2 Ajaccio.

Where did Crew interim head coach Laurent Courtois play soccer professionally?

Courtois played a majority of his professional career in France’s Ligue 1 and Ligue 2. After helping French club Toulouse get promoted to the top league, he was transferred to Premier League club West Ham United in 2001 and made seven appearances, including five starts, while recording one assist.

Courtois played a season at Istres before joining Levante in the Spanish league for three seasons. He played for French club Grenoble Foot before heading to MLS, where he played at Chivas USA and LA Galaxy before his retirement in 2014.

Courtois had 169 starts in his 14-year career, recording 16 goals and 13 assists according to FBref.com.

How did Columbus Crew 2 perform under Laurent Courtois?

Courtois was named the first MLS Next Pro coach of the year after winning the inaugural championship in 2022 with an overall record of 16-3-5 and the highest goal differential in the league.

Crew 2 had a 16-3-9 record in Courtois’ second year and made a second straight appearance in the final but lost to Austin FC II.

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus Crew interim head coach Laurent Courtois: 5 things to know

Read full story at source