Crew coach Schmid will not return

Dec 10, 2008 - 3:55 PM COLUMBUS, Ohio (Ticker) -- Columbus Crew coach Sigi Schmid will not return after leading the team to the MLS championship in November.

The team confirmed Schmid's departure in a statement released Tuesday.

"Sigi Schmid has formally declined our last contract offer and will not be returning as head coach of the Columbus Crew," general manager Mark McCullers said in the statement. "Sigi was the ideal person to turn around our competitive program and create a championship mentality within our club.

"As a result, we are well positioned moving forward and toward continued success. We respect his desire to seek the next challenge and wish him nothing but the best."

Schmid was named the league's Coach of the Year after leading the Crew to 3-1 victory over the New York Red Bulls in the MLS Cup title game on November 23 in Carson, California.

Schmid's contract expired at the end of November and an agreement on a new contract could not be reached. He made no secret of his plans to explore other opportunities and met with officials from the expansion Seattle Sounders last week.

Assistant coach and former Crew player Robert Warzycha is considered the top candidate to replace Schmid, who led the Crew to an MLS-best 17-7-6 record last season.

Columbus was 34-33-25 during Schmid's tenure, which began in 2005.