Columbus Crew 2 head coach Lauren Courtois has been voted as the MLS NEXT Pro Coach of the Year, MLS NEXT Pro announced Friday.
Crew 2 finished the regular season atop the Eastern Conference and were crowned the regular season champions with 55 points. Courtois led his side to an overall record of 16-3-5 with two shootout wins.
Courtois has been with the Crew organization since 2019, where he began as the head coach of their U-17 team. Courtois was promoted to head coach of their MLS NEXT Pro team on January 28, 2022.
Earning the highest goal-differential (GD) across the league with a +40, Crew 2 showed consistency in both halves of the pitch under Courtois. Highlighting the team's achievements was a near-perfect home record of 11-1-0, boasting a +34 GD on home turf.
The first team to clinch a playoff spot in MLS NEXT Pro history, Crew 2’s historic season is set to continue as they head into the 2022 MLS NEXT Pro playoffs as the No.1 overall seed in the Eastern Conference.
