Break out your tissue box, because a beloved original cast member of New Girl is leaving the series.
We’re truly sad to have to report that Damon Wayans Jr. has decided not to extend his contract past New Girl season 4. Coach was one of the original characters in the series pilot, but ended up not being in the first season due to another contract obligation on Happy Endings.
His character returned in the third season as a special guest star. And everyone was happy to have him back as a full fledged series regular in season 4 of New Girl. But now, fans will have to get used to life without Coach once again.
Speaking about the decision Wayans said, “I’m so grateful to have had the opportunity to come back to New Girl in Season 3 to reprise the role of Coach. Working with this incredibly talented and funny cast and crew has been one of the best experiences of my career.”
A bit of good news? New Girl executive producer plans to leave the door open for Coach to return. She explained saying, “We are working on crafting an exit for him that will leave the door open for many more returns.”
We certainly do hope that Coach will have many returns as he rounds out the cast nicely. But maybe once Coach is gone the writers can make good use of Winston, whose storyline has been a bit lacking.