COLUMBUS – Columbus Crew 2 today announced the hiring of Crew First Team alumnus Josh Williams as assistant coach. Williams, who started his current role in early January, played in 183 regular season matches (155 starts) for the Black & Gold and owns a U.S. Soccer Federation B License.
“We are delighted to welcome Josh back to the Club. As a player he embodied respect and was an inspiration to those around him,” said Technical Director Marc Nicholls. “It is an important strategy of ours to bring back to the Club those that have represented it, and to whom it means so much. Josh will be a role model for our Academy, the players, and its staff. His exceptional human qualities will ensure the best environment for both learning and belonging.”
“The Crew and Columbus have had an incredible impact on my life, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to continue to contribute to this special Club.” said Williams. “It is an honor to step into this new role as Assistant Coach for Crew 2 and to work alongside Pipa to help develop the next generation of young players within the Club.”
Across 12 seasons with the Crew (2010-14, 2017-23), Williams helped the Black & Gold capture the 2020 and 2023 MLS Cups and the 2021 Campeones Cup. In postseason play, he featured in 11 matches (10 starts) for Columbus. In 2017, Williams earned the Kirk Urso Heart Award, given to the player who best exemplified the qualities in a teammate and became “the heart” in the Black & Gold locker room. During the 2020 MLS Cup final, Williams played a full 90 minutes in the Crew’s 3-0 win over the Seattle Sounders as the Club its second MLS Cup and the largest margin of victory in MLS Cup history.
Williams’ contributions to the Club were celebrated during a pre-match ceremony last season prior to a match against the New York Red Bulls on March 14.
The Northeast Ohio native served the Columbus community through various community initiatives during his playing career, including the annual Stuff the Backpack event supporting United Way of Central Ohio. In 2023, Williams hosted post-match meet and greets with Columbus City Schools students following each home match in support of the Club’s “Stay in the Game” initiative to combat chronic absenteeism. Williams was named the 2023 Club Humanitarian of the Year.
Williams also made five appearances (all starts) for New York City FC in 2015. He spent the rest of 2015 and all of 2016 with Toronto FC, where he contributed to 27 matches (23 starts), registered one assist and helped Toronto capture the 2016 Canadian Championship.
Born in Akron, Ohio, Williams started all 74 matches played across four seasons (2007-10) at Cleveland State University, recording 12 goals and eight assists.
Along with Head Coach Federico Higuaín and Williams, Equipment Manager Caden Fergison is new to the Crew 2 staff after previously serving the same role for the Academy. Goalkeeper Coach Alex Blackburn, Video and Data Analyst Marc O’Neill and Performance Coach Jorge Gonzalez have all returned for 2025.
Crew 2 begin the 2025 campaign on the road against Orlando City B on Sunday, March 9 at 7 p.m. at Osceola Heritage Park. Crew 2’s home opener is slated for Sunday, April 6 at 6 p.m. against Crown Legacy FC.
Crew 2 single-match tickets are on sale now for the affordable price of $10 per match. First Team Season Ticket Members will have exclusive access to discounted prices through the Membership Team at MembershipTeam@ColumbusCrew.com.
The majority of Crew 2 and MLS NEXT Pro matches will be broadcast on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV, and the remainder will be on MLSNEXTPro.com. Additional broadcast details will be announced at a later date.
