Columbus NWSL Expansion Team Hires Lucy Rushton as GM in Landmark Move

FolioPitch.com – 17 October 2026 | The Columbus NWSL expansion team hires Lucy Rushton as GM, the club announced Friday, making her the first general manager in franchise history and the first person ever to serve as inaugural GM for two different NWSL expansion sides. Rushton, who brings roughly two decades of experience across the NWSL, Major League Soccer and English soccer, will oversee all sporting operations for the yet-to-be-named club, which is set to begin play in 2028.

In her new role, Rushton will be responsible for roster strategy, scouting and recruitment, support staff development and player performance. She reports directly to Tim Bezbatchenko, President of Global Soccer for Haslam Sports Group, which owns the Columbus club alongside Nationwide and Drs. Christine and Pete Edwards.

A Proven Track Record with Expansion Clubs

The announcement that the Columbus NWSL expansion team hires Lucy Rushton as GM comes after an extensive global search. Bezbatchenko said the club prioritized candidates who shared its values of putting the club above the individual, pursuing high ambitions with humility, and elevating the team, players and city through the game.

“Lucy embodies those traits and is the right leader for this opportunity, bringing an incredible passion for our league and a deep knowledge of the NWSL and women’s soccer around the world,” Bezbatchenko said. “Lucy also has a proven track record of success with expansion clubs, which will accelerate our ability to attract top talent, build a comprehensive roster and establish an entertaining style of play as we strive to win trophies for Columbus and our supporters beginning in 2028.”

That expansion experience was most recently on display at Bay FC, where Rushton served as the club’s first general manager from 2023 to 2024. Under her leadership, Bay FC became only the second team in NWSL history to reach the playoffs in its inaugural season, with the head coach she hired and the roster she assembled. She resigned three months into that first season, calling it “one of the hardest decisions of my life” at the time.

Now, Rushton believes that experience gives her a unique advantage. “I feel like it definitely gives me a step up,” she told ESPN. “I feel like there are so many lessons that I took from Bay that will make me better in this role than I was in that role, just because of the experiences I’ve had and what I gained from it. What to do, what not to do, whether that’s roster building, whether it’s staff, whether it’s player personalities, whether it’s the [salary] cap itself, whether it’s the environment and the training ground and what that needs to be, how to create the culture. There are so many bits and learnings that I had from Bay that I feel made me the best version of myself as a GM and as a leader.”

Extensive Front-Office Experience

Over the past two years, Rushton has worked as a consultant and strategic advisor focused on long-term planning and scouting and recruiting processes for the Portland Thorns (2025) and Gotham FC (July 2024 to January 2025). Before that, in April 2021, she became just the second woman general manager in MLS history when she was appointed to the role with D.C. United. She previously served as Head of Technical Recruitment and Analysis for Atlanta United from 2016 to 2021, helping launch that club as an MLS expansion team ahead of the 2017 season. Atlanta reached the playoffs in its expansion year and won MLS Cup in 2018.

The news that the Columbus NWSL expansion team hires Lucy Rushton as GM also underscores the club’s ambition to build a competitive roster from scratch. Columbus was announced in April as the NWSL’s 18th franchise and will kick off in 2028 alongside Atlanta City FC. The club is yet to be named.

Rushton said her immediate priorities are filling out the sporting staff, including a technical director and a director of scouting. She also outlined a clear vision for the club’s identity.

“What I really want is a club that represents Columbus, that represents the community,” she said. “This is a really hard-working [city] … I think it’s important that the brand of football you play represents the people you serve, your community and the lifestyles they lead, and the demographic you have. I feel like it’s going to be something which is representative of them but which ultimately is entertaining.”

Conclusion

The appointment of Lucy Rushton marks a significant statement of intent for Columbus’s fledgling NWSL side. With her blend of expansion-club experience, MLS front-office pedigree and deep knowledge of the women’s game, she is well positioned to build a competitive and entertaining team from the ground up. As the Columbus NWSL expansion team hires Lucy Rushton as GM, the club has secured a leader who understands the unique challenges of launching a franchise and who is determined to create a side that reflects the hard-working spirit of its community.