The NWSL expansion franchise awarded to Columbus in April doesn't have a nickname yet, unless Columbus NWSL 2028 does the trick, but it now has a general manager.
The club, owned by Haslam Sports Group, Nationwide and Drs. Christine and Pete Edwards, announced Oct. 16 that Lucy Rushton is the first GM in franchise history. Rushton, 41, brings 20 years of experience in men's and women's professional soccer, including roles with expansion franchises in MLS (Atlanta United) and the NWSL (Bay FC).
"When the team was announced, straight away I was like, ‘Oh yeah, that's appealing to me,' " Rushton told The Dispatch. "I love expansion. Not many people do. I love it, probably because
I've been successful in it, whereas maybe other people haven't seen that and have just seen a more difficult side of it, but I love expansion."
Rushton was also attracted to theownership group, which includes Haslam Sports Group's managing partner, Whitney Haslam Johnson, and HSG president of global soccer Tim Bezbatchenko, who constructed two MLS Cup winners as the Crew's GM.
“We’re thrilled to have Lucy lead Columbus NWSL as our first general manager,” Haslam Johnson said in a statement. "It is rare to find a leader of Lucy’s caliber and deep experience, with the unique understanding of how to build an expansion roster, a new organization, and a culture that our players and fans will be proud of. Just as importantly, Lucy exudes such passion and excitement for Columbus and the potential to impact our community on and off the pitch. We have many more ‘firsts’ to celebrate, but Lucy’s leadership is a tremendous first step as we build out our club and look to create an electric atmosphere at ScottsMiracle-Gro Field.”
The feeling is mutual.
"The ownership group and the ambitions they have for this club match my own," Rushton said. "I think everything they're about, in terms of wanting to win but also building the community through [soccer], all those things are really important to me, as well."
Who is NWSL Columbus GM Lucy Rushton?
Rushton is from Reading, Berkshire, England, where she grew up a passionate soccer fan, season-ticket holder and ticket sales employee for Reading FC of the English Football League Championship series, one division below the English Premier League.
She attended University of Reading, earning her bachelor's degree in sports leadership, before earning a master's in sports performance analysis at University of Wales. Her start in professional soccer happened in 2007 with Watford FC of the Premier League, and continued in her hometown with Reading from 2008-16, where she worked as a sports analyst and helped the club win an EFL championship in 2012 to gain promotion into the Premier League.
"Women did not work in football clubs in England at the time," Rushton told The Dispatch. "They still don't now, so 20 years ago they definitely didn't. So, I never really saw a path into the pro game, and that's why I thought, ‘Oh, maybe I'll be a [physical education] teacher.' "
One internship experience as a P.E. instructor is all it took to nix that plan.
She refocused on analyzing sports performance and wound up with an extensive career in professional soccer that has included successful stints in England and the U.S., where she has helped start franchises in both men's and women's leagues.
Following her English stints, Rushton headed to the U.S. to work for Atlanta United, an MLS expansion team, as head of technical recruitment and analysis. She contributed to Atlanta signing players who helped the club qualify for the playoffs in its first season and win an MLS Cup in its second (2018).
Rushton's first GM role was in MLS with D.C. United (2021-22), which preceded her role as GM of NWSL expansion club Bay FC in 2023-24. Prior to joining Columbus NWSL, Rushton worked the past two years as a consultant and strategic advisor for the league's Portland Thorns (2025) and Gotham FC (July 2024-Jan. 2025).
"Every club I've been at, there are lessons that I’ve learned, the do's and the don'ts," Rushton said. "Just going through [expansion] twice, building two rosters and understanding, like, ‘OK, what do we need to look like on Day 1 from a player perspective, but also from a staff and infrastructure perspective?' Those things [are important], but the biggest thing is the culture piece. Every club I've been at, and certainly every time I've been successful, you can always relate it back to the people and the culture."
Why did Columbus NWSL expansion team hire GM Lucy Rushton?
Rushton's most recent GM roles didn't last long.
After D.C. United made her the second female GM in MLS history, and first hired primarily to construct the team's roster, Rushton was replaced after one season that ended with the club finishing last. She was then hired by Bay FC to construct an expansion roster just six months before the club's first NWSL season (2023-24), which she did before resigning without explanation 14 games into it.
The team went on to become the second NWSL club to qualify for the playoffs in its inaugural season, powered by Rushton's roster. Any critics of her hire in Columbus will surely point to those stints as reason for concern, but Bezbatchenko had no issue with them after looking into them.
"We spoke to Lucy directly about each one, and she answers it best, which is just to say that she learned from those opportunities," Bezbatchenko told The Dispatch. "Each situation is different, but what we've learned from Lucy is that she'll own the mistakes, if she's made them. She'll own them, and she has demonstrated a willingness to learn from them."
Bezbatchenko and Rushton said the plan for her in Columbus is to put together plans for both short-term and long-term success. Rushton will also get more runway than with Bay FC.
"What I would say in Bay's situation, to do an expansion team in six months is something I think ... it's nearly impossible,' Bezbatchenko said. "You do it, but I don't know how you do it really well. You're sort of solo climbing."
Rushton, despite her early exit, got to the top with Bay FC by putting together a playoff roster. That plus two decades working as a female expert in professional soccer stood out, most often on staff with men's teams.
"We’re aiming high with this team," Bezbatchenko said. "So, someone like Lucy embodies that ambition, and has that knowledge of the global game on both the men's and the women's sides, giving her experience. With Lucy, we have someone who's extremely passionate and enthusiastic about the women's game."
Will the Columbus NWSL expansion team be competitive in 2028?
Rushton included a caveat when asked this question, but her initial reaction was most telling.
"That's absolutely my ambition, yes," she said. "In the same breath, like, we have to be respectful to the quality of the league. It’s not an easy league to come into and just say, ‘Oh, yeah, well, we’re going to win on Day 1.’ That's being disrespectful to the quality already here, but do I believe we can be successful? Yeah, that’s what drives me every day. Making the playoffs in Year 1? Only two [NWSL] expansion teams have ever made the playoffs in the first year, so that has to be something we're pushing for.”
She constructed one of those teams, and that was with a short turnaround to assemble a staff and roster. It's fair to think Columbus, with much more planning time, can also hit the ground running.
"What I see in Lucy is a partner," said Bezbatchenko, who has oversight with Rushton and Crew GM Issa Tall. "She’s a leader that leads with humility and grace, but tremendous ambition, but also a partner who will understand there's two phases of this build. There's the expansion, roster building in the next, sort of, 16 months, and then after that there's a winning component of, ‘How do we compete on the field for championships to sort of represent a city?’ ... She's ready to really commit to a project where she can help own it and lead it to success from the very beginning."
DispatchBlue Jackets/Crew reporter Brian Hedger can be reached at bhedger@dispatch.com
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus NWSL 2028 names Lucy Rushton as first general manager
