The Columbus Crew has named Tim Bezbatchenko as its new president and Caleb Porter as head coach.
The moves come with a new ownership group led by Cleveland Browns owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam expected to take over and plans in the works for a new downtown stadium. The MLS team was at risk of being moved to Austin, Texas, by its present owners before the local group stepped in.
The 43-year-old Porter was head coach of the Portland Timbers from 2013-17, finishing there with a 68-50-52 record. Previously, he was head soccer coach at the University of Akron from 2006-12.
Porter takes over for Gregg Berhalter, who was hired to coach the U.S. men’s national team in December.
The 37-year-old Bezbatchenko was Toronto FC's vice president of soccer operations and general manager from 2013-18.
The Crew opens the season March 2.
