CF Montréal name Laurent Courtois head coach | MLSSoccer.com

Laurent Courtois is CF Montréal’s newest head coach, the club announced Monday.

Courtois previously led Columbus Crew’s MLS NEXT Pro team, helping them win an inaugural league title in 2022 and also make the championship match in 2023. Beforehand, he worked extensively in Columbus’ academy.

“We are very pleased with Laurent’s appointment today,” Montréal VP and chief sporting officer Olivier Renard said in a release. “Over the past few years, Laurent has accumulated a wealth of coaching experience that demonstrates his ability to implement our sporting project with young players in MLS.

“We are confident that he will be able to replicate his past success with our club’s core team and young talent, while helping us to achieve our objectives by reviving a desire to win both at home and on the road throughout the season. In addition to his knowledge of the league, he possesses leadership, communication and teaching skills.”

The 45-year-old Frenchman is Montréal’s third head coach in as many years, following Wilfried Nancy (2021-22) and Hernán Losada (2023).

Courtois is a former MLS midfielder, having played for the LA Galaxy and now-defunct Chivas USA after a well-traveled career in Europe. His playing days started at Lyon’s academy.

“I’m honored to be joining the club and embarking on this new adventure in Montréal,” said Courtois, the 2022 MLS NEXT Pro Coach of the Year. “I’m very proud of this responsibility.

“I’m looking forward to working with everyone at the club and contributing to the team’s success. I want to continue the development work begun with our young players, while offering a dynamic style of play and emotions to the fans.”

As Courtois joins, Montréal are chasing a return to the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs. They were the Eastern Conference’s No. 2 seed in 2022, but missed out in 2023 after finishing 10th in the table.

CF Montréal’s squad is led by forward Kwadwo Opoku, midfielder Mathieu Choinière, defender Joel Waterman and more. Their season opener is Feb. 24 at Orlando City SC (7:30 pm ET | MLS Season Pass).