Former midfielder Darlington Nagbe is helping the Crew’s transition from Henrik Rydstrom to interim coach Laurent Courtois, with the 35-year-old assisting the first-team coaching staff for a short-term period.
Crew general manager Issa Tall said Nagbe will work alongside Courtois during his first week at the helm but is expected to be on the sidelineonly for the final two games before the eight-week World Cup break.
“I’m very grateful for him,” Tall said. “Even over the past few months, very grateful for his presence. But it’s honestly just considered for a week.”
Nagbe concluded his 15-year MLS career, which included winning four MLS Cup titles and playing 445 regular-season games, at the end of the 2025 season. However, the Crew hired Nagbe as an individual development coach in February, with his primary responsibility with the organization being to guide younger players.
Courtois was named interim coach after the Crew fired Rydstrom on May 17. Under Rydstrom, the Crew were 3-4-7 and rank 13th in the Eastern Conference standings.
Along with Rydstrom, the Crew also parted ways with assistant coach Theodor Olsson and analyst Mak Pakhei.
It is unlikely Nagbe will fill the assistant coach vacancy, as one of the reasons for his retirement was to limit travel and spend more time with his family.
“I said you have two home games, so you’re not traveling anywhere. … If I tried to convince him for anything longer, his wife will kill me,” Tall joked.
The Crew start their week against New York City FC in the U.S. Open Cup quarterfinals on May 20, and then face Atlanta United on May 24 in their final regular-season game before the break.
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Darlington Nagbe joins Crew coaching staff on short-term basis
Reporting by Brianna Mac Kay, Columbus Dispatch / The Columbus Dispatch
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