Andy Loughnane hired as President of Business Operations for the Columbus Crew

The Crew announced that Andy Loughnane will become the President of Business Operations and will oversee all non soccer areas for the team. Anthony Precourt will relinquish day to day operations to Loughnane and once again solely take up the Chairman mantel of Precourt Sports Ventures.

Loughnane has a varied career before taking the role with the Crew. He's worked for the Detroit Red Wings and Columbus Blue Jackets early in his career before moving to Glimcher Realty and founding his own company Adfluential.com on 2008. Most recently, he was Vice President of Corporate Partnerships for Palace Sports & Entertainment, parent of the Detroit Pistons.

The diverse experience appealed to Precourt as he continues to put his imprint on the organization. Loughnane is tasked with filling the seats and improving the team's position in Central Ohio. That means improving the season ticket numbers and building relationships with the local political and business community.

The team recently took a step back from one of the biggest items on the list The team stopped actively searching for a naming rights partner in recent months. The timing coincided with the search for a head of business operations and the upcoming rebranding effort. Precourt said that the team will be resuming the search for a stadium partner later in the year.

The team also announced two additional changes. Long time ticketing Vice President Clark Beacom adds service and operations roles. Mike Malo was named Chief Marketing Officer, a key position as the team prepares to rebrand and rework it's image this fall.

The hiring of Loughnane will also streamlines the organization. Gregg Berhalter manages all soccer related activity and Loughnane manages the business operations. Both positions report to Precourt.