“In my opinion, every MLS team with an opening in their top two or the General Manager position of their second team should be calling Corey Wray” -Tom Bogert, correspondent of GiveMeSport, when asked him if CF Montreal had any chance of landing Wray after it was announced that he was leaving the Columbus Crew.
CF Montreal officially announced the hiring of Corey Wray on July 11, 2024, as a Sports Strategy Consultant for the next few months as the team looks to navigate the upcoming transfer window that officially opens on July 12th for Canadian teams and the 18th for the rest of the league. But who is Wray and what will he do for CF Montreal? I decided to do a bit of research from his early days in Toronto FC and ask around about his time in Columbus to get a clearer picture of who CF Montreal is adding to their staff.
A little long background on Corey
Hailing from Mississauga, Ontario, Wray started his journey at Brock University’s sports management program in 2002 alongside future Pittsburgh Penguin’s General Manager Kyle Dubas. Once he was finishing his studies, Dubas was looking for an internship and so he set his sights towards Europe, however, Toronto FC offered him a four-month internship, which included tasks such as being the media sign-in person at TFC’s open tryouts in 2006. This would eventually turn into a part-time contract in game-day operations with fun tasks including getting coffee, photocopying, and entertaining the crowd at halftime.
Fast forward 10 years later, when he was named TFC’s Assistant General manager to Tim Bezbatchenko, by that point Wray had rapidly worked his way up the corporate ladder starting as the club’s first ever intern to being the Manager of Team Operations (2012-2014), Senior Manager of Team Operations (2014-2015), and Director of Team Operations (2015-2017) before becoming the Assistant General Manager until 2020.
During his time at Toronto, Wray gained a reputation for “his ability to bring a sense of clarity and remain level-headed in his decision making” according to Tim Bezbatchenko. While with the team he also built a special department that dealt with the needs of players and their families to help settle into life in Toronto which included language classes, setting up bank accounts and finding schools for the players’ kids. In an interview with John Molinaro of Sportsnet, Wray says “The goal was to make sure that we took care of everything off the field so that when the players stepped onto the pitch, they didn’t have to think about any of that, they just had to worry about playing. That was a hallmark of the operations department that I started to create.” During his last role as an Assistant General Manager with TFC, he was involved in player acquisitions, Designated Player recruitment, roster strategy, negotiations and club legacy projects, and overseeing the club’s high potential development program.
After stepping down from his role in TFC on March 2020, Wray followed Bezbatchenko to the Columbus Crew in Ohio, where he held a similar title of Assistant General Manager, team operations and strategy where his responsibilities were to “assist in shaping the Club’s overall roster, assist with player development, help create and manage the Club’s efforts to start a second team at a to-be-determined competition/age level and schedule format and will oversee the day-to-day administration and operations of that second team.” At the time Bezbatchenko said in a statement “His experience in partnering with local clubs and affiliates, both domestically and internationally will be a huge asset to our club. Additionally, as MLS begins to oversee the different tiers of player development, Corey’s new role will be pivotal in helping us strengthen the Crew’s player development program, which potentially includes a team to bridge the academy and the first team as we work towards strengthening our path to the professional level in MLS.”.
With the Crew, Wray was most recognized for his work he did at building the Crew 2 from the ground up and developing a pipeline with the senior eventually earning him the 2022 MLS NEXT Pro Executive of the year and a finalist for the 2023 accolade in its inaugural season. Under Wray, the Columbus Crew 2 won the league’s first trophy, finished top of the table, his Head Coach Laurent Courtois won Coach of the Year. On the field, his signings Patrick Schulte earned Goalkeeper of the Year, Mohammed Farsi, Isiah Parente, Jacen Russel-Rowe, and Jacen Russel Rowe, and Schulte were recognized in the Best XI. Russel-Rowe earned the golden boot and the MLS NEXT PRO Cup MVP. And finally, in 2023 Farsi, Russell-Rowe, and Phillip Quinton signed contracts with the Senior Team. MLS NEXT Pro Senior Vice president of Competition & Operations, Ali Curtis said at the time “What we’ve seen Columbus accomplish in just the two short years since the League’s inception has set the standard. With Corey’s leadership the Crew has really optimized the professional development pathway – not just for players, but for staff as well,”.
One of the key words to take of this quote is “optimized”. How come? In his mid-year review press conference, CF Montreal president Gabriel Gervais mentioned several times throughout different answers that Wray was being brought into the team to consult on how CF Montreal can find ways to “optimize” things that are done on the sporting side.
What Can CF Montreal Expect from Wray?
In a surprising turn of events and shock to those in the club and the league, Issa Tall’s fired Wray as his first task as the new General Manager of the Crew. CF Montreal, which according to Gervais is looking restructure is sporting side, decided to bring him in as a consultant “to help us get through the transfer market now, look at the workforce, look at best practices, help us define the whole structure we’re going to put in place with key positions”. Gervais also said that Wray will work closely with Daniel Pozzi, who recently had the charge of the salary cap and MLS rules added to his role.
Based on his track record and past accomplishments at starting from nothing to building programs and successful sustainable systems at both TFC and Columbus, one can safely assume that Gervais couldn’t pass up on the opportunity to hire an up-and-coming talent when the MLS recommended Wray to him. The timing is excellent for both parties as Gervais who has publicly stated, since the “mutual termination” of Sporting Director Olivier Renard in May, that he wants to take a “step-back” and reform the sporting side of CF Montreal. For Corey Wray, it’s a “temporary employment” that could be considered a trial for a permanent General Manager position with Montreal or other teams. Corey Wray has built a great reputation everywhere he has gone but many teams might still not be sure if he can take a project on his own since he has always worked under the shadow and guidance of Bezbatchenko. He must working to prove something to the league after being let go so unceremoniously and hearing Tall tell the media in his introductory press conference, “First of all, I want to thank Corey for what he’s done for the Club. At the time, his role was needed just because the structure of the club, we had no Academy, and he did a great job for that. Now, you look at our second team, and its players from the Academy. The hope is to have even more of that. The hope is to have players that are maybe a little bit aggressive at 17, 16, or 15 [years old] coming through the Academy. We’re still discussing the structure. “We have a plan in place.”.
So now we know his background and accomplishments from his time at Toronto and Columbus, but what can CF Montreal expect from Corey Wray during his time here with CF Montreal? I decided that the best way to find out was to reach out to those that put in the time and dedication to cover the Crew.
I had the opportunity to ask a few questions to Ralph Schudel, Managing Editor of Massive Report and contributor to Columbus Wired, Ty Fisher, also a contributor to Massive Report, and Brianna Mac Kay of the Columbus Dispatch regarding Wray and his time in Columbus:
Q: Can you tell me what the original reaction was when Corey Wray was first hired with Columbus and how that relationship developed until he left?
Ty: The initial reaction to Corey Wray being hired in Columbus was good. He came to the organization with a vision for our MLS Next Pro side, where he was the General Manager. At the time, he was the only general manager in the league to be with an MLSNP side. Guiding us [Columbus] to the inaugural MLSNP Championship and winning and getting us back to the final the year after. He also developed the MLSNP Golden Boot winner in the inaugural season Jacen Russell-Rowe. Needless to say, he was successful. The relationship developed really well, as he also worked with CF Montreal Head Coach Laurent Courtois and Columbus Crew head coach Wilfried Nancy to help develop a structural system that was the same from the first team all the way down to the academy. It was shocking to hear that Columbus moved on from Wray when Issa Tall took over, but Wray has the vision of a winning philosophy, and given the connection between him and Courtois, I can see success soon for the Club.
Ralph: Honestly, I don’t know if anyone knew what to expect when Corey Wray was hired given the infrastructure of MLS Next Pro was relatively new. I think as things progressed on the field with Crew 2 and the team began tasting success, ultimately leading to a MLS NEXT Pro title in 2022, people realized his potential as a team builder and the tremendous chemistry he and Laurent Courtois were beginning to build. Many of the team members on that MLS Next Pro Championship team helped the Crew capture the 2023 MLS Cup and have put much of MLS on notice. Namely goalkeeper Patrick Schulte who was recently named to the U.S. Olympic team as a goalkeeper just this week.
Brianna: I was not in Columbus when Wray was hired, but I do know he was brought in during a critical time for the club, when the Crew were going through a lot of changes. So, I believe there was a lot of excitement when the whole new front office group came in, including Wray.
Q: How hands on was Corey Wray when building the roster? Or did the infrastructure on the technical team with Fall and Tom make him also a consultant?
Ty: Wray was the bread and butter for Crew 2 when building the roster. He made decisions, but also had insight from Tall and Bezbatchenko, but he made all the decisions. He was the brains of signing players, and if they were up to fitting the standards of the organization
Ralph: My understanding is that he controlled a lot of the Academy and Crew 2 signings, he didn’t have much of a say on senior team signings. I’m sure he was involved in those conversations but many of those decisions fell to former general manager Tim Bezbatchenko and then-assistant general manager Issa Tall.
Brianna: Wray’s job with Columbus was very much about building a roster, but it was the developmental, Crew 2 roster. He was the guy in charge of bringing in the Crew 2 players that won the inaugural MLS NEXT Pro Cup in 2022. The reason the Crew fired him was because they felt there was no longer a need for his role under new general manager Issa Tall.
Q: What are some things that CF Montréal fans can expect from having Corey Wray in the organization? What are some things that might surprise them?
Ty: I think some things that CF Montreal can expect is utilizing younger talents, possibly from the academy (if applicable). That’s a lot of how Columbus got their success is developing from within the club. That might also come as a surprise to some, but with Wray and Courtois, it can definitely happen.
Ralph: With the hiring of Corey, I think there is an eye to the future for CF Montreal and a reason for optimism. He helped create a Crew 2 pipeline that pays dividends to the senior team and yields results. The changes won’t happen overnight but I’m willing to guess that Laurent has vouched for Corey and that the two will work well together once more, identify key talent, and return CF Montreal to its glory. Rome wasn’t built in a day, but I promise if you give Corey time, positive results will follow. I would say not to write off any player that is brought in. Corey has been very thoughtful with each player brought into Columbus, each playing a key role in the process. Again, I can’t state this enough, just be patient. Good results are coming.
Brianna: Wray is a respected person in soccer, in the preseason, his name was brought up for open front office positions because of that. So, Montreal can expect a person who knows the game of soccer and being in the front office really well.
Q: Were there any signs that he might be fired in the last few months? Any questions regarding his work?
Ty: There weren’t any signs to be honest, at least in my eyes. It came to a shock on the same day Issa Tall was announced as the replacement GM for Tim Bezbatchenko.
Ralph: None to my knowledge, my understanding is that he was just a casualty of the departure of Tim Bezbatchenko’s departure for Black Knight Football club. He was regarded for his work; his results were satisfactory, and he was well regarded within the Crew facility.
Brianna: I mentioned it in my previous answer, but from what I’ve gotten for the club, his firing was more because they didn’t have a need for his position anymore, not anything Wray did.
Q: How is the Crew 2 faring after these 2 key departures of the team (Courtois and Wray)? Did Wray build a sustainable system for the future, or has the organization changed philosophies?
Ty: Crew 2 is faring decently well. They moved Kelvin Jones into the head coaching position, who worked under Courtois. They are in a playoff position if I’m not mistaken, but you can see that the Capybaras are still holding strong.
Ralph: At the time of writing this, the squad is 6-5-5, seems a little bit like the squad has lost its attacking prowess from prior years. Not sure if that’s because of the change in the front office, or how many of the players who enjoyed success under Wray now play for the senior team. The infrastructure has been laid and Columbus remains very committed to its youth academies, promoting two Crew 2 players just this year. Nothing has really changed; I just think that the roster turnover that occurred has led to some changes in results.
Brianna: I think the reaction to Laurent leaving was positive because it proved that what he was doing was successful, Wray talked about how big of an accomplishment it was for Laurent. Under Tall, the direction of Crew 2 is now focusing on players who start with the club’s academy, so it is in a rebuild stage.
Q: What are some projects (players signings, infrastructure, etc.) that were linked directly to Corey Wray, and which were considered a success, failure, or still waiting to be seen?
Ralph: The biggest thing I believe that Corey gets credit for is the success of Crew 2, especially early on. He helped with the development of Patrick Schulte, Jason Russell-Rowe, Mo Farsi, Sean Zawadzki, and I’m sure I’m missing a few others. All those players factored into the early success of Crew 2 and now are paying dividends on the main roster. So, to summarize, I think he has really helped transform the player pathway from MLSNP to MLS. I don’t believe he’s had any failures to speak of, but it will be intriguing to see how Crew 2 moves on post-Corey’s leadership. It doesn’t seem to have the same buzz around the team as it did during his tenure. Again, don’t know if that’s because of the roster turnover or the fact the rest of the league has caught up with them, time will tell
Brianna: The biggest moves from Wray were players who were signed to Crew 2, and then went on to win the MLS NEXT Pro Cup in 2022. Players on that team were Patrick Schulte, who he was involved with drafting and Jacen Russell-Rowe, among others.
I want to thank the amazing Ralp, Ty, and Brianna for having taken the time to answer my questions quickly and leaving the door open for more!
So, based on his track record and what is being said about him during his time at Columbus, we can’t help but feel excited about what’s to come in the next few months for the Impact. Gervais made no commitment to hiring Wray on a permanent basis and said he would decide once the structure is in place and if there is a position for him in said structure.
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