Gregg Berhalter returns to Columbus Crew as Wilfried Nancy departs

Gregg Berhalter returns to the Columbus Crew following his departure as United States men’s national team head coach on July 10, 2024. The club reached a financial agreement with Wilfried Nancy to secure his departure to Celtic. The French manager arrives in Scotland after a tenure in MLS where he led the Crew to an MLS Cup title in 2023. Nancy won the MLS Coach of the Year award on November 20, 2024, after his team finished seventh in the Eastern Conference during the 2025 season.

Nancy leaves Montreal for Scotland

Wilfried Nancy leaves CF Montreal after the club reached a financial agreement with Columbus Crew regarding his departure. CF Montreal President and CEO Gabriel Gervais stated the club accepted Nancy’s decision to leave the organization after efforts to continue the project failed. Nancy arrived at Celtic on a two-and-a-half year contract starting December 4, 2025. He lost his first match in Scotland to Heart of Midlothian, a 2-1 defeat, followed by a 3-0 loss to Roma. His tenure at Celtic lasted 33 days before the club sacked him on January 5, 2026. Nancy holds the record for the worst win percentage of any Old Firm manager at 25 percent.

The transition in Columbus follows a period of success under Nancy. He led the Crew to the MLS Cup final in 2015 and secured the Leagues Cup title. His team finished third in the regular season during his first year as coach in 2023. Berhalter previously managed the Crew from November 6, 2013, to December 2, 2018, recording 74 wins, 70 draws, and 49 losses. He reached the playoffs in four of his five seasons in charge.

Berhalter rebuilds Chicago Fire tactics

Berhalter serves as the Director of Football and Head Coach for the Chicago Fire. He implements a framework focused on possession and pressing. The Chicago Fire roster contains about half new players following significant turnover. His tactical approach involves creating numerical overloads to disorganize opponents. This method uses wide wingers and midfielders to create triangles. Berhalter prefers a structure that allows defenders to play out of pressure.

The Chicago Fire preseason results show progress in establishing this identity. Berhalter previously managed the USMNT with a 44-17-13 record. He led the team to the 2021 Nations League title and the 2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup. During his time with the Crew, he preferred a midblock that could transition into an aggressive high press. He prioritizes using the ball to control the tempo.

MLS roster expansion and youth development

MLS implemented a new U22 Initiative roster slot expansion to support player development. This expansion follows Berhalter’s long-term strategy of building a roster of young players like Christian Pulisic and Tyler Adams. The U.S. U-20 teams outperformed Mexico for most of the past four years. Berhalter noted there are not many overlapping players between the full national team and the U-20 team.

The Columbus Crew drafted two players in the 2026 MLS SuperDraft to bolster their squad. The club selected midfielder Tarun Karumanchi in the second round with the 49th overall pick. Karumanchi played 1,699 minutes for UCLA during the 2025 season. The Crew also selected defender Isaac Heffess in the third round with the 79th overall pick. Heffess started all 23 matches for North Carolina State during the 2024-25 season. These additions support a roster undergoing generational change. Will the integration of these academy and draft products satisfy the expectations of the Columbus supporters?